Top [SA] Teams May Abandon Super 14
SA's five Super 14 franchises could withdraw from the regional competition next year if SA Rugby does not ensure that the Lions (Cats) play in the 2007 competition.
That threat was made in a letter, leaked to The Weekender this week, sent by the five franchises on August 14 to Johan Prinsloo, MD of SA Rugby at the time.
The letter, written on Golden Lions Rugby Union stationery but endorsed by the Sharks, Bulls, Stormers and Cheetahs, covered grievances relating to the Spears' competence.
The letter urged SA Rugby to meet the Spears and their constituent unions to impress on them that they are not ready to play in the Super 14. The letter also said that if SA Rugby did not resolve the Spears issue, the five franchises would take action.
A highly placed source told The Weekender that the intended action would mean the franchises withdrawing from the competition.
"It would be problematic for any franchise to compete in the Super 14 in the current climate, and if the Spears are not withdrawn, we would reconsider our future participation in the tournament," the source said.
"The Spears' participation would undermine the whole competition, and we cannot be party to that."
If the threat is carried out, SA Rugby would be in breach of the Super 14 contract, to which New Zealand, Australia and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp are co-signatories.
The media company owns the rights to the Super 14 and Tri-Nations tournaments, and would certainly take a dim view if five teams from SA withdrew at short notice.
The strong bargaining position the five franchises enjoy is based on the fact that they are not signatories to the contract, so technically they would not be in breach if they withdrew.
The ramifications of such a drastic step would be disastrous for SA Rugby, leading to a split between the ruling body and the five leading unions.
The franchises have control over players as they pay their salaries through the member unions. Even the 24 contracted Springboks are paid largely by their unions, and could become pawns in a political game.
Since the letter was sent, SA Rugby has managed to buy controlling stakes in the Border and Eagles unions. But it has hit an impasse with Eastern Province, the third union in the Spears region. The matter will now go to the high court.
Last month, SA Rugby won the right to appeal the decision of Judge Dennis Davis, who had ruled that SA Rugby had reneged on a deal to allow the Spears to participate in the Super 14 next year.
If the ruling body loses the appeal, scheduled for November 23, the franchises will either have to make good on their threat to leave the competition, or back down.
