South African Super 14 Franchise Announced

[Timbo]

http://www.sarugby.net/default.asp?aid=143940

There was a snippert in the paper yesterday morning about this, but I just remembered so I hunted down the article on the SA Rugby website.

If you tried to read that, you've discovered it's the most confusing article ever written, however, the paper said that the winning franchise was the Central Cheetahs, who are currently part of the Cats franchise, and the new team will be based in Bloomfontein. The Eastern Cape provincial unions are being folded into the existing franchises.

This means they are weakening by half an already very weak franchise, putting a team in an area which already have two in close proximity, and leaving a large slab of the country teamless. I think the Eastern Cape would have been a better option myself.

 

[bayrep]

I know nothing about the areas in SA but I heard there was division on where the team was to be based regarding the colour of your skin. They wanted 1 area which had a high proportion of dark players to have a S14 team. Does the Central Cheetahs cover this ??

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

No ! The Central Cheetahs covers Orange Free state and other areas near by . OFS is mostly white and was regard by white rightwing as their new home .
Eastern Cape is where most black players come from .

 

[bayrep]

Then SA has shot themselves in the foot, having a team in the Eastern Cape would have opened SA up to a lot more talent.

 

[Timbo]

No kidding they have.

The fact that in order to create this team, they'll be splitting the Cats player base in two, making a very weak team weaker amazes me.

 

[bayrep]

From the SMH today.
http://www.rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/n...State-selection/2005/04/21/1114028484365.html

Heated reaction to Free State selection


Cape Town: A special meeting of South African rugby chiefs will be held on Saturday to review the controversial outcome of the country's selection process for next year's expanded Super 14 competition.

The Free State-led central unions won South Africa's fifth place in the competition, upsetting sports minister Makhenkesi Stofile, who had favoured the joint bid of three eastern and southern Cape provinces - strong areas of black African rugby.

The outcome also disappointed three of the existing four franchise-holders, who were partnered with the unsuccessful Cape bidders in new regional structures.

Five members of SA Rugby's management committee issued a media release announcing that they had filed a motion to set aside the Super 14 decision.

In a later statement, SA Rugby president Brian van Rooyen said: "We recognise the strong views that have been expressed in recent days, particularly those of the Minister of Sport and Recreation. Out of respect for him and his position, I believe this matter merits further debate."

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It looks like the OFS team isnt the final decision. Lets hope it goes towards the Cape instead.

 

[Timbo]

Hopefully.

I mean what were they thinking? Aren't the Cats bad enough to begin with without de-merging them?

Just a very poor decision.