Major teams British and Irish Lions, Leinster, Ireland
Position Centre
Tests 141
Points 250
Tries 47
The Beginning
Brian O’Driscoll was born in Dublin and made a rapid rise through the junior ranks. He represented Ireland at schoolboy, U19 and U21 levels. He made his debut for Ireland in 1999 at age 20. O’Driscoll really burst onto the international scene in 2000 when he scored a magnificent hat-trick against France in Paris. O’Driscoll is the all time record try scorer for Ireland. He also captained Ireland in more tests than any other player.
He was a fantastic organizer on defense and put in some big hits in his career. But he will mostly be remembered for his attacking qualities. He often broke the opposition line and set up either a try for himself or the players in support.
In His Prime
His form in 2000 and 2001 secured him a place in the British & Irish Lions team that toured Australia in 2001. O’Driscoll was in dazzling form and scored some of his greatest tries on that tour, including a brilliant solo effort in the first test.
He first captained Ireland in 2002 and took on that role on a full time basis in 2004. Under his leadership, Ireland won the Triple Crown in 2005. Later in 2005 he was selected as captain of the British & Irish Lions on their tour of New Zealand. Sadly he got injured in the first test and his tour was over.
In 2007 he broke Keith Wood’s captaincy record and was named the Player of the Six Nations in 2006 and 2007. Injuries started to play a role, but he was back to his best in 2009 and lead Ireland to their first Grand Slam since 1948. He was again named player of the Championship and went on his third tour with the British & Irish Lions to South Africa. O’Driscoll also won his first Heineken Cup with his beloved province Leinster in 2009.
His Retirement and Legacy
In 2010 he earned his 100th test cap, but at this stage he was struggling to maintain the form that made him famous. In 2013 he was overlooked as captain of Ireland and struggled with form. He was selected for his fourth British & Irish Lions tour, but was dropped in the last test for Jonathan Davies. He finished of his career with Ireland in 2014.
All that aside, Brian O’Driscoll was quite simply one of the greatest attacking players of all time and will be remembered as a rugby legend and the greatest player Ireland has produced.
Brian Lochore made his debut for the All Blacks against England at Twickenham in 1964 while playing for Masterton club in the Poverty Bay area. He captained New Zealand until 1970 when they toured South Africa.
After retirement he became a successful coach and coached his old club Masterton and then moved onto Wairarap-Bush in 1980. Lochore became and All Blacks selector in 1983 and then moved on to coach the side. He lead the All Blacks to World Cup glory in 1987. Lochore stayed involved in the All Black setup and managed the side at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
He was became Sir Brian Lochore and earned the honour of Knight Companion of New Zealand of Merit in 1999 and earned New Zealand’s highest honour after being inducted into the Order of New Zealand in 2007.
He was also inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame and will be remembered as one of the greatest All Blacks of all time.
Benoit Dauga drove fear into the hearts of the opposition. He was monster of a man, who was known for his size and power. But he had skill as well. He had 63 caps for Franc, from 1964 to 1972, scoring 11 tries in the process. He was captain of France on nine occasions and he won the Grand Slam with France in 1968 as well as outright championship wins in 1967 and 1970.
Danie Craven named Benoit Dauga as one of the five greatest rugby players ever.
Major teams Bay of Plenty, Highlanders, Otago, New Zealand
Position Fullback
Tests 62
Points 135
Tries 27
The Beginning
Ben Smith was a stalwart for Bay of Plenty in his early career. He made his debut against Italy in 2009 and has since established himself as a key player in the All Blacks side that won back to back Rugby World Cups. Unfortunately, he missed out on selection for the 2011 show piece. If you think about how good he is currently, it is hard to believe that he initially struggled to be a regular in the All Blacks setup.
His Prime and Legacy
Smith was in sublime form in the 2012 Super Rugby season, resulting in his recall to the national setup. He was initially touted to take the outside centre role, but with Conrad Smith in the mix, he had to settle at full back and occasionally perform on the wing.
Since his debut he has scored an impressive 27 test tries and he is regarded as one one of the best attacking players in the world. He is strong under the high ball and is lethal on the counter attack. His support play is also impressive and he often just has to round off a promising attack.
In June 2017, he was named as All Black captain for the test against Samoa. He continues to be an integral part of the All Black team heading into the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Barry John played his first test for Wales against Australia on 3 December 1966. In the late 60’s, Wales weren’t the fearsome team they were in the 1970’s and that didn’t help establish himself as a world class fly half. But it is during this time that he started playing with Gareth Edwards and they would go on to become one of the greatest half back pairings ever.
John’s strength was his ability to vary his game. He was a good tactical kicker, but it was his running game and that unmistakable swerve that was his claim to fame. His centers also flourished with him on his inside as he often created space for his outside backs.
His Prime and Retirement
He was selected for the British Lions tour of South Africa in 1968, but suffered a broken collar bone in the first test. In 1971 though, it was the Barry John show in New Zealand. John was instrumental in that famous series win and exhibited an all round game that couldn’t be matched by the All Blacks.
The next year, at the age of 27, Barry John retired from rugby while at the peak of his career. He was an unassuming man and just couldn’t deal with the fame that came with being a rugby star in a rugby mad country like Wales.
Barry John didn’t like the nickname “The King”, but that is exactly what he was.
Major teams Barbarians, British and Irish Lions, British and Irish Lions XV, Presidents XV, Scotland, Scotland XV
Position Fullback
Tests 60
Points 301
Tries 12
Being a Lion
Andy Irvine made his international debut against the mighty All Blacks in December 1972, while playing for the Heriot’s Rugby Club.
He had two great seasons with Scotland and was consequently picked for the British & Irish Lions for their tour to South Africa in 1974. Irvine played well on tour and was selected for the test team for the test in Port Elizabeth. He didn’t play at full back, but was instead selected on the right wing. A certain JPR Williams kept him out of the team. He performed well and kept his place for the final test at Ellispark and even scored a great try in that match. He finished the tour on top of the points scorers list with 156.
Irvine was equally sublime in New Zealand in 1977. He equaled Malcolm Thomas’s record from 1959 for most points by a Lion in a single game by scoring 25 against Hanan Shield Districts. He also scored a great try in the process. After that feat, he scored five tries against King Country-Wanganui, which is still a record for a Lions full back.
He was a late replacement on the 1980 tour of South Africa after he didn’t make the initial squad because of injury. He ended up playing in the last test at Loftus Versfeld.
His Legacy
Andy Irvine was a star player for Scotland throughout his illustrious career. He played his last test for Scotland against Australia in Sydney in 1982. At that stage he was the world record holder for most test points, 301.
After his retirement he dabbled in coaching and in 2005 he was appointed Scottish Rugby Union president. He was also named British & Irish Lions team manager for the 2013 tour of Australia.
Andy Irvine was a prolific goal kicker, but will mostly be remembered as one of the greatest counter attacking full backs ever.
Major teams Canterbury, Crusaders, Harlequins, Racing Metro, Toulon, New Zealand
Position Fly-half
Tests 70
Points 967
Tries 7
The Beginning
Andrew Mehrtens was born in Durban, South Africa in 1973. His family would later move to Christchurch in New Zealand where he would make a name for himself one day.
Mehrtens made his debut for Canterbury in 1993 and went on to make his All Blacks debut in 1995 against Canada. He was the fastest player to score 100 points in test rugby, by doing it in 5 tests. He was a key figure in New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup campaign and who could forget that monster of a penalty he scored in the final.
His Prime and Legacy
He won five Super 12 titles with the Canterbury Crusaders and was at the time of his retirement, the highest points scorer in the competition’s history. He also won the NPC with Canterbury in 1997, 2001 and 2004. With the All Blacks he won four Tri-Nations titles as well as a series win against South Africa in 1996.
He was a key member of the All Blacks team between 1995 and 2002, but in 2003 he fell out of favour for Carlos Spencer. Mehrtens did return to the All Blacks team in 2004 before heading to the UK to finish off his career at English club Harlequins.
Most rugby fans will remember him for his kicking ability, but he had a very underrated attacking game and should be remembered as one of the most rounded fly-halves the modern game has seen.
Major teams World XV, South Africa, Free State, Natal Sharks
Position Fullback
Tests 34
Points 115
Tries 10
The Beginning
Andre Joubert made his debut for Free State in the late 1980’s and quickly established himself as one of South Africa’s premiere players. Free State was know for their attacking rugby and Joubert was often the player to spark their attack from fullback.
He made his debut for the Springboks against the World XV at Newlands in 1989, but had to wait another four years before earning his second cap.
In 1992 he moved to Natal, but was always competing for his position with Hugh Reece-Edwards. With Reece-Edwards’ retirement, Joubert established himself as the best fullback, not only in Durban, but in South Africa.
He finally came to prominence on the Springboks’ tour of the United Kingdom in 1994 and famously scored 38 points against Swansea. He was solid in both tests against Scotland and Wales and showed the world what he could do on attack and on defense.
The 1995 Rugby World Cup
Joubert was a key player in the Springboks’ success in the 1995 Rugby World Cup. In the quarter final against Samoa, Joubert broke his hand after a late and high tackle by Mike Umaga. This didn’t stop him though and after going through some revolutionary rehabilitation, he was back in his post for the semi final against France.
Playing with a broken hand, Joubert was simply sublime in the drenched match against the French. Joubert was peppered with high balls, but he stood firm and never let the French get the upper hand. He was even more notable in the final against the mighty All Blacks at Ellispark. On that day, he defended like a Trojan while giving an exceptional tactical kicking display.
His final flourish
In 1995 and 1995, Andre Joubert was arguably the greatest fullback on the planet. In 1996 he helped Natal reach the first ever Super 12 final against the Auckland Blues. But he will be remembered more for his contributions in the Currie Cup Final later that year.
The match was played against Transvaal at a packed Ellispark. Joubert was at his counter attacking best and scored two magnificent tries. The first when he cut the line and took an inside pass from Jeremy Thompson and the second from a superb chip and chase.
Joubert played his final test for South Africa in 1997 against Australia at Loftus Versfeld and he finished off his career at the Sharks in 1999.
He won three Currie Cups in ’92, ’95 and ’96 as well as that famous World Cup win.
Major teams Barbarians, Bristol Rugby, Richmond, Stade Français, Argentina
Position Scrum-half
Tests 71
Points 60
Tries 12
The Beginning
Agustin Pichot has been the driving force behind getting Argentina onto the world stage. He was an inspirational player and captain lead Argentina to third place at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Consequently, the rest of the world had to sit up and take notice. Their success in 2007 eventually lead to their inclusion in the Rugby Championship from 2012 onward. He played with passion and was an instinctive scrumhalf who read the game well and could vary his game when needed.
Pichot made his debut for Los Pumas against Australia in 1996 at the age of 19. He was still playing amateur rugby for his club, Club Atlético San Isidro (CASI) in Buenos Aries. After a couple of solid performances, he was quickly snatched up by UK club Richmond.
Pichot moved from Richmond to Bristol in 1999 and in the same year, he helped Argentina reach the quarter finals of the Rugby World Cup by beating Ireland in a classic encounter.
Captaincy
In 2000 Pichot was named captain of Argentina and in his first match in charge, Los Pumas beat Ireland 34-23. He would eventually cement himself as captain after proving a popular choice among the players.
In 2003, Argentina had a disappointing World Cup campaign, exiting in the group stages after narrow losses to Australia and Ireland. At this time, he moved to French super club, Stade Francais, with whom he won the Top 14 title in 2004.
The Pinnacle
Under Pichot’s leadership, Argentina scored famous wins against England and Waled in 2006 and that set them up for what was to come in 2007. In the opening game, Los Pumas shocked the rugby world by beating a strong French side on home soil. Later in the campaign they downed the Irish and the Scotland to set them up for a semi final showdown with South Africa. They lost out to the Springboks, but exited the tournament in splendid fashion by thumping France for a second time in the third placed play-off.
His Legacy
Pichot retired from international rugby following the 2007 Rugby World Cup and in October 2011, he was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
Finally, in 2015, Agustin Pichot was elected as Vice Chairman of World Rugby, an acknowledgment to all the work he has done for the development of rugby as a true world game. In addition, in 2016, he was voted most influential figure in world rugby.
He was truly, a revolutionary player. Let’s hope the revolution continues.
It’s been nine days since the rugby massacre in Durban and a lot of introspection has taken place as well as some research. Social media has gone crazy and the South African rugby public is fuming. The once mighty Springbok team is now a bunch of imposters, incapable of living up to expectations.
Even current and former players have voiced their opinion. Joel Stransky, Duane Vermeulen and Schalk Burger all chipped in to the debate. It’s already too late to start the fix, so whatever needs to happen, needs to happen soon.
The coaching indaba this coming week is a step in the right direction. I feel it is ludicrous that Heyneke Meyer was not invited, he was coach 12 months ago! Let’s just hope all the stakeholders have their say, are being honest, and that the current leadership, including Allister Coetzee listens and learns.
To be fair to Allister, the problems didn’t start this year with him and his inexperienced coaching team. It started long before that. I’ll dig into all aspects of the South African rugby crisis in more detail later on. Let’s first look at the Springbok results over the last seven years.
2009 was one of the last truly successful rugby seasons in recent history. We beat the Lions, beat the All Blacks three time, won the Tri-Nations and was named World Rugby team of the year for the second time. We had a very experienced side who wasn’t that old (Matfield was only 32) and who carried the confidence of 2007 with them. I think the Lions series played a big part. It’s a once in a lifetime tour and the players really wanted to make up for the series loss 12 years earlier. But that momentum soon dwindled…
In 2010 the Bulls won Super Rugby for the third time and expectations of the Springboks continuing their dominance over Australia and New Zealand was high. It wasn’t to be. We struggled against Italy in the first test and lost all three tests against New Zealand and two to Australia, including a home defeat in Bloemfontein. The end of year tour will be remembered for a loss to Scotland. Scotland. Not a successful season.
In 2011 we expected experienced players to come back strong and pull us through to the World Cup final in New Zealand. But the senior guys were under cooked when the international season started and we again lost a home game to Australia in Durban. We were well beaten in the two away tests in the Tri-Nations and although we did beat an under strength All Black team in Port Elizabeth, we didn’t perform well in the World Cup. The Springboks were lucky against Wales and struggled against Samoa before crashing out against Australia in the quarter finals. Not a successful season.
There was renewed excitement around the Springboks in 2012 when Heyneke Meyer was appointed coach. He had all the credentials and a proven track record of building up a team to be the best in the world. Being a Bulls supporter myself, I was more than pleased with this decision. It wasn’t a great start though. Meyer wasn’t quite sure what his team should look like and there were lots of changes in personnel in his tenure as coach. In 2012, we drew against England at home and against Argentina away. We were also well beaten by the All Blacks at home and although the end of year tour was a successful one, the entire season was a bit of a hit and miss. Not a successful season.
2013 was a good year. We only lost against the All Blacks who went unbeaten for the entire year. We dominated Australia and beat them by a record score in Brisbane of all places. Here’s the kicker; a decision was made by Meyer and the senior players in the team to play a more attacking game. The result? We scored more tries than the All Blacks in 2013. It worked. An attacking game worked!
2014 was another hit and miss season. We beat the All Blacks for the first time in three years in a nail biter at Ellispark, but cracks were showing on the end of year tour and we struggled against Italy and were comprehensively beaten by Ireland.
Heyneke Meyer had a torrid last season as coach in 2015
Should we just skip 2015? A home defeat to Argentina and the World Cup fiasco against Japan. The less said the better.
So when we look at the eight seasons since 2009, only two of those can really be considered successful. So how did we end up here? And I say “we”, because the rugby fans are the single most important stakeholders in the game. Not the politicians, not the players and definitely not the administrators. Let’s look at all the challenges facing the game today and what can be done to fix this game we love.
Transformation
In 1999 Riaan Oberholzer walked into the Springbok camp after our loss to Wales and told Nick Mallett the team he selected needs to change and that that was the last time a 100% white Springbok team will be selected. Stefan Terblanche was dropped for Breyton Paulse for the test against the All Blacks in Dunedin.
Now Breyton was a truly great wing and would have got his chance to shine on merit in any case, so why force the selection? This is my first issue with transformation. It often makes the rugby public question the merit of non-white players. Rugby is too important in this country for coaches to not pick the best players, whether they are black, coloured or white. The cream should always rise to the top. Players like Paulse, Habana, Mtawarira and Pietersen are all too good to be questioned in this manner.
The way transformation is enforced also demotivates young players. Whether true or not, it creates the perception that the best aren’t always selected. SARU has done nothing to dispel that belief among young players, so the perception is still there.
There is also a perception that transformation is partly to blame for the mass exodus of players to Europe and Japan. The very public admission of “targets” by the Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula and instances like the appointment of Peter De Villiers for reasons “other than merit” makes it clear that political interference is rife and that we strive to be the best without employing and selecting the best. It doesn’t make sense.
Peter De Villiers was appointed as coach in 2008, with Oregan Hoskins stating it wasn’t purely a merit appointment
Now, it is important for the Springboks to have the support of all South Africans. I would like to talk to the non-white rugby supporters who actually fork out the money to go to test matches and proudly wear their Springbok jerseys every Saturday. Do they care what the demographic of the team is? I’d bet my life savings the answer is an emphatic no.
If you really support this team, you want them to be the best. Pick 23 youngsters from Umtata for all I care. Just win regularly. Now I would like to ask a question. Why can’t a predominantly white team be supported by all South Africans? Is the racial divide in this country that big that a black South African cannot support a predominantly white team? I don’t have the answer for that. Conversely, can a white rugby supporter support a predominantly black rugby team? I hope the answer is yes, if the team is the best and selected on merit.
Rugby should be a unifying force in the South African landscape
This brings me to culture. The reason I am fanatical about rugby and the reason I’m writing this blog has got everything to do with my upbringing. I grew up in a house where rugby was the only sport that really mattered and it is all I wanted to play at school. Do the majority of black kids growing up today love rugby?
Culturally rugby is still seen to be a predominantly white and coloured sport and soccer a predominantly black sport. Unless you go to one of the top schools, as a black kid in South Africa, you won’t have too much access to the game. I know how this sounds, but it’s a reality and cultural and social factors outside of the game play a big part. The Springbok rugby team can only represent the demographic of the rugby playing public, NOT the demographic of the whole country.
Transformation on its own is not the issue, it’s the application that is the issue. If rugby is rolled out at grass roots level, by default the game will transform. To find out more about what is happening at grass roots level, go check out this article.
The challenge here is the South African schooling system and rugby as a program is not available to all schools. This is not SARU’s problem, this is the government’s problem and SARU seems to be doing more proactively to try and fix the deficiencies of an ineffective and incompetent government.
We also have to question Supersport’s monopoly over the public broadcasting of rugby. We want to take the game to the masses, but we only broadcast rugby on a premium service that costs over R900 a month. How do we expect young kids to start watching rugby and idolizing their heroes if they can’t watch them play?
The alternative isn’t much better, as the current situation with the SABC will in likelihood cause advertisers to pull the plug on their spend. The SABC is also going to transition to DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television), forcing the general public to install satellite dishes and potentially making it more difficult to get access to rugby matches. The solution? Make SS1 available on compact packages.
My last comment of transformation. Rugby isn’t an elitist sport anymore. It’s open to anyone to play and if you are good enough, you should be picked. This is the general feeling of the South African rugby public. Just look at Sergeal Petersen and Ox Nche. I haven’t been this excited about two youngsters in a long long time. They both deserve higher honours at some point in future. Not because they are black, but because they are bloody good rugby players.
Skills
The skill level of South African players has been a talking point ever since Nick Mallett coached the team in 2000. It’s not a new debate, New Zealand and Australia have always had more skilled players, but we have stayed competitive by playing to our perceived strengths of “maak sag voor en slaan agter” and of course the dreaded kick chase game. We haven’t progressed our game that much in the last 15 years, we only executed what we can do more accurately at times, which brought us some success.
Now, this notion that the Springboks aren’t renowned for their try scoring abilities, is hogwash. Historically we were always a side that could score tries. The Springbok sides of the 50’s, late 70’s, 80’s and late 90’s were try scoring sides. The same could be said of the crop of 2013. These were successful Springbok sides. So the notion that we cannot play 15 man rugby needs to stop. It’s our lack of proper coaching that creates this culture.
Proper skills coaching should happen at junior level
At school level, the big strong kids are chosen to play, because they will always gain yards and run over their smaller opponents. A conservative kick-chase game plan at senior level is the safe option and in 2016, if you still coach that game plan, you shouldn’t coach at this level. Don’t get me wrong, kicking will always be part of the game and the All Blacks kick more than most sides, but they don’t kick to attack, they kick to get themselves into attacking positions.
Talking about game plans, there is too much focus on it. Players’ skills and decision making aren’t being trusted by coaches, but maybe there’s a reason for that. I don’t think our players have the necessary cognitive skills to be able to make the right decisions in pressure situations.THAT is where proper coaching needs to be applied.
At school level, why do we pick players based on age? Why not based on size? That will force kids to learn how to beat opponents by sidestepping or being creative in open play. It’s radical, but they do it in New Zealand.
We lack skills on all levels, not size and fitness. In 2005 the Sharks finished bottom of the Super 12 log. They brought in David Campese as a specialist skills coach for the 2006 season and they almost made the semi finals that year and played really attractive rugby. It’s not rocket science.
Coaching
We used to be trend setters in world rugby at one point. Heyneke Meyer was the first coach to use a hooker as a scrumhalf from a line out to create a man over in the back line in the late 90’s. This was copied by most teams during that time.
Jake White introduced a new rush defense system in 2004 and although it didn’t have longevity, it still worked that year and caught opponents by surprise. These are just two examples of how our coaches developed the game and didn’t try to copy other coaches. Why is Nick Mallett, Rassie Erasmus and Brendan Venter not coaching in South Africa?
Rassie Erasmus is currently plying his trade in Ireland
Another concern is the lack of a coaching pipeline or succession plan. I will again refer to the All Blacks. Steve Hansen was assistant coach for 6 years under Graham Henry and when the time came to select the next All Blacks coach, it was a no brainer. We didn’t have any idea who would succeed Jake White, Peter De Villiers or Heyneke Meyer. We only start speculating when the media gets hold of the potential short lists.
It just feels like our coaching methods are out of touch and that we are losing ground every year. I am not a coach, so I can’t criticize. I just hope the indaba this week addresses some of our short comings.
The Weak Rand
The South African economy plays a huge part in the player exodus every year to Europe and Japan. Players cannot earn the same money locally as they would overseas. Arguments like “they should play for the pride of the jersey, loyalty, etc.” are arbitrary. It’s a global professional game. You cannot fault players for seeking greener pastures. So how do we keep them in South Africa?
Two things can happen here; SARU can contract all players ensuring the best players in each position gets game time during Super Rugby and also ensuring that they handle all contracts. We get the biggest cut of the SANZAAR pie and we should use that money to keep players in South Africa.
Another, more radical, option is to privatize the Unions. The current power trip the 14 unions are on needs to stop. They don’t have the Springboks’ interests at heart, only their own interest. How awesome would it be if supporters of teams could actually buy shares in their sides, or if a billionaire from Europe buys the Bulls, pumping all his funds into our economy and ensuring the best players play in South Africa.
Amateurs running a professional game
The current structure and leadership of SARU is not serving the game. Yes, they serve the players, the back office staff and us, the supporters. The 14 Unions are only seeking their own benefit and they do not work together or make decisions that benefits South African Rugby as a whole.
The president’s council is again an old school, archaic leadership structure and it needs to change. We need savvy business people collaborating with rugby people to run the show, NOT politicians wanting to score brownie points with the government. Why is Johan Rupert investing in Saracens and not his beloved Western Province? We need to get that capital and business expertise back into the country.
We also need leadership to push back on political pressure and stand up for the excellence that is the Springbok team. Kneeling to government pressure is damaging our rugby to no end. Politicians don’t have rugby matters at heart, only political matters.
And what about public KPI’s for our coaches and administrators? Let’s be totally transparent to understand what impact is being made by all stakeholders.
The structure of rugby
The current rugby season is long and winded and at the end November most rugby supporters can’t wait for it all to end. We have also got it completely wrong in terms of how the season is structured and a lot of it is down to our tunnel vision and stubbornness at SANZAAR level.
SANZAAR needs a reinvention in how their competitions are structured
We wanted a sixth team in Super Rugby although we cannot field five competitive teams each year. Again, yielding to political pressure forced us to include a team which cannot govern itself and won’t be competitive in the near future.
We have also given up the strength of the Currie Cup, for many years the backbone of our rugby, for a watered down version of Super Rugby. The Currie Cup needs to regain its importance and relevance as it is the prime breeding ground for the next talent pool to shine before making the step up to Super Rugby the next season.
One thing that is working is the Varsity Cup. Credit has to be given to the organizers for giving a platform for young talent to shine. Oupa Mahoje and Damian De Allende are two players who have come through the Varsity Cup.
I propose this structure to the season:
Create a Super 20 by expanding to the Pacific Islands and adding another team to Argentina. Split the competition into a Premiere League and a First Division, with the two finalists in the First Division gaining promotion to the Premiere League the following season. This will ensure all teams pull out all the stops to win each game, they won’t have the certainty to be there next year.
The Super 10 Premiere League will then be strength vs strength as you will have to play all teams in the Premier League. You could wrap up Super Rugby in 13 weeks and run the tournament from February to May, giving international players some time to recover and prepare for the June Internationals.
The Currie Cup can kick off in June/July and run until End September
The Varsity Cup runs in parallel with Super Rugby
Perhaps the Varsity Cup could be expanded to a National Club Competition. How great would it be for players not playing Super Rugby, playing for their clubs, but being paid by SARU/the Unions?
I don’t have all the answers folks and yes, I am frustrated with the current rugby landscape in South Africa. I am also mad that it got to this point. So you might not agree with everything said here, but at least I’m saying something. I also don’t have all the answers, but I am happy to contribute in whatever capacity to save our beloved Springbok from extinction.
