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Eight-team Currie Cup mooted
Ah, you gotta love South African politics. Let's review:
At the end of 2011, SARU decided to change the Currie Cup format. To accommodate a strength-versus-strength competition, the Premier Division was changed from 8 to 6 teams, which would include the Eastern Province Kings. Of course, the Kings had to win a promotion-relegation play-off against the no. 6 team of the 2012 season. Many thought the smaller union Griquas would be the unfortunate party in this scenario.
The difference is, that the Griquas team performed above expectation and the Free State Cheetahs ended 6th. That got SARU in a different situation that was almost impossible to resolve. If the Kings earned promotion, the Cheetahs province would be relegated. A province being a big feeder to Springbok Rugby with the lucrative and very successful Grey College in their region. The Cheetahs won and the Kings were in the First Division for another year.
With the Kings in Super Rugby in 2013, after a big lobby by the ANC, Cheeky Watson and Alan Solomons, this year would be different. After losing Super Rugby rights for the following year by losing the Super Rugby play-offs (not to be confused with the Currie Cup promotion/relegation play-off) to the Lions, several players left the organisation.
My opinion, and if you guys disagree, please, debate, is that recent events in Currie Cup rugby caused SARU to re-think their strategy. With the Griquas team beating the Natal Sharks team in Durban in round 1, it was imminent the Griquas team would again not end as 6th, again leading to a big team taking on the Kings in a play-off. The other thing is the disappointing results of the Kings provincial team.
The Currie Cup First Division started in June, when the Kings were still playing Super Rugby, leading to a second-string team taking on their opponents in the Currie Cup. This eventually led to them losing to the Pumas (13-29), Leopards (18-22), Boland (23-30) at home. The following result is that the Kings are 4th in the First Division, only 1 point ahead of Boland. Will the Kings ever get to the Premier Division when they keep it in the current format? Apparently SARU doesn't think so. Oregon Hoskins now comes with the brilliant idea to turn back the decision and going back to 8 teams. Everything to accomodate the Extremely Petty Kings (What else could EP mean?).
This brings me to the second part I would like to discuss. Should SARU take notice of what the NZRU is doing with the ITM Cup? Both countries have 14 provincial teams, but in New Zealand, they have 2 divisions of 7 teams, with teams also playing inter-divisional games. Long-term that benefits the overall development of players for all teams. Should SARU do the same? I know, at first, the scores against teams like Griffons, Falcons and Bulldogs will be massive, but you cannot change things over-night.
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/currie-cup/news/130816/Eightteam_Currie_Cup_mootedThe South African Rugby Union has asked its competition committee to reconsider the Absa Currie Cup structure so that a place can be made for the Southern Kings in a future competition.
Ah, you gotta love South African politics. Let's review:
At the end of 2011, SARU decided to change the Currie Cup format. To accommodate a strength-versus-strength competition, the Premier Division was changed from 8 to 6 teams, which would include the Eastern Province Kings. Of course, the Kings had to win a promotion-relegation play-off against the no. 6 team of the 2012 season. Many thought the smaller union Griquas would be the unfortunate party in this scenario.
The difference is, that the Griquas team performed above expectation and the Free State Cheetahs ended 6th. That got SARU in a different situation that was almost impossible to resolve. If the Kings earned promotion, the Cheetahs province would be relegated. A province being a big feeder to Springbok Rugby with the lucrative and very successful Grey College in their region. The Cheetahs won and the Kings were in the First Division for another year.
With the Kings in Super Rugby in 2013, after a big lobby by the ANC, Cheeky Watson and Alan Solomons, this year would be different. After losing Super Rugby rights for the following year by losing the Super Rugby play-offs (not to be confused with the Currie Cup promotion/relegation play-off) to the Lions, several players left the organisation.
My opinion, and if you guys disagree, please, debate, is that recent events in Currie Cup rugby caused SARU to re-think their strategy. With the Griquas team beating the Natal Sharks team in Durban in round 1, it was imminent the Griquas team would again not end as 6th, again leading to a big team taking on the Kings in a play-off. The other thing is the disappointing results of the Kings provincial team.
The Currie Cup First Division started in June, when the Kings were still playing Super Rugby, leading to a second-string team taking on their opponents in the Currie Cup. This eventually led to them losing to the Pumas (13-29), Leopards (18-22), Boland (23-30) at home. The following result is that the Kings are 4th in the First Division, only 1 point ahead of Boland. Will the Kings ever get to the Premier Division when they keep it in the current format? Apparently SARU doesn't think so. Oregon Hoskins now comes with the brilliant idea to turn back the decision and going back to 8 teams. Everything to accomodate the Extremely Petty Kings (What else could EP mean?).
This brings me to the second part I would like to discuss. Should SARU take notice of what the NZRU is doing with the ITM Cup? Both countries have 14 provincial teams, but in New Zealand, they have 2 divisions of 7 teams, with teams also playing inter-divisional games. Long-term that benefits the overall development of players for all teams. Should SARU do the same? I know, at first, the scores against teams like Griffons, Falcons and Bulldogs will be massive, but you cannot change things over-night.