13-08-2005, 07:51 AM
Western Province rugby officials are outraged by a proposal suggesting they merge with Boland and play in the Currie Cup as the Stormers - a decision that would effectively kill off the
132-year history and tradition of WP rugby.
The proposal, by the Leopards, the Falcons and the Pumas for the 14 rugby provinces in South Africa to combine to form seven franchises and play in a strength-versus-strength Currie Cup from next year has been tabled for discussion at Tuesday's meeting of the SA Rugby Presidents Council in Johannesburg.
A second option is for the Currie Cup to revert to a strength-versus-strength format of seven Premier Division sides and seven First Division sides with a promotion-relegation component.
After agreeing to this structure at the last Council meeting, the cash-strapped smaller unions are now lobbying against it and appear to be demanding the status quo (a qualifying round in the Currie Cup and then a Top Eight/Bottom Six split) be retained. The alternative is a franchise system on the same basis as SA cricket.
WP chief executive Theuns Roodman confirmed his union had written a letter to the SA Rugby Union expressing their strongest possible opposition to a franchise system.
"We have told South African rugby that they would have to be out of their minds to even consider any such proposal.
"It is unthinkable that a rugby province as old as WP, with the heritage and traditions this union has in the Currie Cup, could be wiped off the map at the whims of a few small provinces north of the Orange River who do not have anything close to our history."
Newlands rugby bosses are mortified that a plan that would effectively kill of the famous blue-and-white striped jersey and the Disa (the WP Rugby logo) is even up for discussion.
In their letter of protest they have pointed out that WP have produced 243 of the 770 Springboks (one third of all capped Boks), as well as the most black Springboks (10 out of 32 since 1980) in South African rugby.
"Our support base is traditional and we could never support a franchise like this. It is crazy, not even remotely feasible and would kill rugby in the Cape," said Roodman.
Roodman said any attempt to force WP into extinction would meet fierce resistance.
"We are happy to play with Boland as the Stormers in the Super 14, but when it comes to the Currie Cup we can only ever be Western Province. You cannot just wipe out 132 years of rugby history," said Roodman.
In the last financial year, WP made more money (R12 million profit) than SA Rugby, who showed a R12m loss.
The union has also won the Currie Cup a record 32 times, boasting a significantly superior record in the tournament to the next best Bulls, who have won it 21 times.
Former Springbok and WP flank Rob Louw said any decision that threatened the extinction of WP would provoke a revolt among Cape rugby followers along the lines of Manchester United fans - who are resisting the takeover of their club by American billionaire Malcolm Glazer.
"You could never do it," said Louw. "It would never get the support of the public. Cape fans would boycott rugby and stay away in disgust. WP rugby is ingrained in us, it is like the Springboks and All Blacks."
If the reaction to the ill-fated name change of Newlands to Fedsure Park Newlands a few years ago is any indication, Cape rugby would face a rebellion if they persisted with any move to erase WP from the rugby landscape.
WP Rugby bosses were booed by a capacity crowd at Newlands after they had agreed to the stadium name change.
In recent years, however, the stadium has reverted to its original name after marketing initiatives to identify it as Investec Newlands were ignored by local fans and thus proved futile.
A Currie Cup franchise system would not effect the Bulls, the Sharks or the Cats, who have the same identity in the Super 14 and the Currie Cup as opposed to the Stormers, who play in black in the Super 12 with most of their players switching to the traditional blue and white of WP later in the season for the Currie Cup.
While Newlands rugby bosses are appalled that SA Rugby could even consider erasing WP from SA rugby history, a majority vote for the franchise system at the President's Council meeting on Tuesday would be binding.
James Stofberg, president of the Leopards, explained why his union, along with the Pumas and the Falcons had tabled the motion.
"At this stage I am not quite sure what is going to happen. Various unions have sent in different proposals (for the Currie Cup). The problem the small unions face is that we are losing our players to the bigger unions and this forces us to start all over again.
"We need an extra R3-4 million to survive and compete, and one way of keeping ourselves alive was to consider grouping together and form franchises We do not know how we are going to survive over the next five or six years.
"Over the past two years we have lost 21 of the players in our starting line-up to bigger unions and at the end of the year we are expecting to lose more. So even though we qualified for the Top Eight, there is no guarantee that we will stay there after next season.
"We can't generate any extra money and are slowly going backwards," he said
132-year history and tradition of WP rugby.
The proposal, by the Leopards, the Falcons and the Pumas for the 14 rugby provinces in South Africa to combine to form seven franchises and play in a strength-versus-strength Currie Cup from next year has been tabled for discussion at Tuesday's meeting of the SA Rugby Presidents Council in Johannesburg.
A second option is for the Currie Cup to revert to a strength-versus-strength format of seven Premier Division sides and seven First Division sides with a promotion-relegation component.
After agreeing to this structure at the last Council meeting, the cash-strapped smaller unions are now lobbying against it and appear to be demanding the status quo (a qualifying round in the Currie Cup and then a Top Eight/Bottom Six split) be retained. The alternative is a franchise system on the same basis as SA cricket.
WP chief executive Theuns Roodman confirmed his union had written a letter to the SA Rugby Union expressing their strongest possible opposition to a franchise system.
"We have told South African rugby that they would have to be out of their minds to even consider any such proposal.
"It is unthinkable that a rugby province as old as WP, with the heritage and traditions this union has in the Currie Cup, could be wiped off the map at the whims of a few small provinces north of the Orange River who do not have anything close to our history."
Newlands rugby bosses are mortified that a plan that would effectively kill of the famous blue-and-white striped jersey and the Disa (the WP Rugby logo) is even up for discussion.
In their letter of protest they have pointed out that WP have produced 243 of the 770 Springboks (one third of all capped Boks), as well as the most black Springboks (10 out of 32 since 1980) in South African rugby.
"Our support base is traditional and we could never support a franchise like this. It is crazy, not even remotely feasible and would kill rugby in the Cape," said Roodman.
Roodman said any attempt to force WP into extinction would meet fierce resistance.
"We are happy to play with Boland as the Stormers in the Super 14, but when it comes to the Currie Cup we can only ever be Western Province. You cannot just wipe out 132 years of rugby history," said Roodman.
In the last financial year, WP made more money (R12 million profit) than SA Rugby, who showed a R12m loss.
The union has also won the Currie Cup a record 32 times, boasting a significantly superior record in the tournament to the next best Bulls, who have won it 21 times.
Former Springbok and WP flank Rob Louw said any decision that threatened the extinction of WP would provoke a revolt among Cape rugby followers along the lines of Manchester United fans - who are resisting the takeover of their club by American billionaire Malcolm Glazer.
"You could never do it," said Louw. "It would never get the support of the public. Cape fans would boycott rugby and stay away in disgust. WP rugby is ingrained in us, it is like the Springboks and All Blacks."
If the reaction to the ill-fated name change of Newlands to Fedsure Park Newlands a few years ago is any indication, Cape rugby would face a rebellion if they persisted with any move to erase WP from the rugby landscape.
WP Rugby bosses were booed by a capacity crowd at Newlands after they had agreed to the stadium name change.
In recent years, however, the stadium has reverted to its original name after marketing initiatives to identify it as Investec Newlands were ignored by local fans and thus proved futile.
A Currie Cup franchise system would not effect the Bulls, the Sharks or the Cats, who have the same identity in the Super 14 and the Currie Cup as opposed to the Stormers, who play in black in the Super 12 with most of their players switching to the traditional blue and white of WP later in the season for the Currie Cup.
While Newlands rugby bosses are appalled that SA Rugby could even consider erasing WP from SA rugby history, a majority vote for the franchise system at the President's Council meeting on Tuesday would be binding.
James Stofberg, president of the Leopards, explained why his union, along with the Pumas and the Falcons had tabled the motion.
"At this stage I am not quite sure what is going to happen. Various unions have sent in different proposals (for the Currie Cup). The problem the small unions face is that we are losing our players to the bigger unions and this forces us to start all over again.
"We need an extra R3-4 million to survive and compete, and one way of keeping ourselves alive was to consider grouping together and form franchises We do not know how we are going to survive over the next five or six years.
"Over the past two years we have lost 21 of the players in our starting line-up to bigger unions and at the end of the year we are expecting to lose more. So even though we qualified for the Top Eight, there is no guarantee that we will stay there after next season.
"We can't generate any extra money and are slowly going backwards," he said
