LeagueXIII
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Anyone know the current state of league in South Africa?
such a mysterious beast is SA rugby league. hopefully the new activity further north will give them more games and raise the profile a bit.
Great news Springboks have agreed to have SARL as an associate member ... they are sure to do the best for the game (last paragraph)
https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/sa-rugby-back-in-the-black-with-modest-r2m-profit-20190403
I have assumed that SARU will use this to ensure that no govenment support goes to SARL but it is an advance on the usual Saffer approach that RL dosn’t exist.
"The meeting also accepted into associate membership South African Rugby League. The application was made under the terms of the requirements of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) which directs that all similar sports fall under one national mother body."
Interesting.
Even if you assume a selfish motive, it could play out in different ways.
SA Rugby might use it as a way to keep League under the thumb. Seems somewhat unnecessary though, since League had basically no traction anyway, and no path to improvement without government support. Giving a membership to League surely gives it more legitimacy than ignoring it entirely.
With the above in mind, maybe SA Rugby sees some appeal in being a force in both codes? SA is one country where it would take relatively little to improve League from obscure minnows to a Cup level force. Acting in the best interests of South African sport, rather than just ensuring Union dominance, there must be some appeal here. Some recent developments might have tickled their fancy - the 2021 World Cup coming along nicely, the African championship in Nigeria, SARL competing for a WC spot with Cooks and USA, and GAISF membership to RL.
The application was made under the terms of the requirements of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) which directs that all similar sports fall under one national mother body."
Bollocks. Exactly the same rubbish as with GAISF.
If you look at the other members of SASCOC:
- Hockey, Ice Hockey
- Karate, Judo, Martial Arts, Taekwondo
- Triathlon, Pentathlon, Athletics
- Weightlifting, Powerlifting
Could this be the beginning of a unitary governance of "rugby" in RSA?
i.e. Rugby XV, Rugby XIII, Rugby VII.