Title: SA Rugby
1SA Rugby
- White Paper for
- professional and amateur
- Playing Structure
- 2006 to 2010
- Pretoria 29 July 2005
- Johannesburg Airport 9 September 2005
15/09/2005 Revision R J v Huyssteen
2Overview
- SA Rugbys playing structures provide the best
platform and opportunities for sustaining a
winning National Team and maintaining Rugby as a
game accessible and attractive to all. It is SA
Rugbys responsibility to ensure the best
possible competition formats. - The changes in recent years in the game at
international and domestic level, as well as at
SA Rugby, brought about the need to change our
structures in SA to be competitive and to grow
the game at all levels. - The Celtic-SA Cup or similar Provincial
Competition and other international opportunities
offered to SA present new challenges, which will
give rise to the consideration of exciting
new playing formats. - The cornerstone of growing the game through club
structures must be promoted and developed to its
full potential.
3Criteria
- Financial Sustainability
- Limited financial resources dictate
cost-effective structures. - The viability of each competition must ensure
maximized net positions - Competitions provide the platform where all
commercial assets are showcased and marketed. - Acceptability of structures and competitions by
sponsors is non-negotiable and needs to be
returned over a medium term period. - Growing the Game
- SA Rugby is responsible to ensure broad based
participation in rugby as it is SAs game for
all. - New proposed Playing Structures should provide a
broad base entry level enhancing progress for a
player to the top professional level.
4Criteria (continued)
- Competitiveness and Player Welfare
- The best players must play in the best
competition at a given level as often as
possible. They need constant challenges and
tests against their peers in SA and
internationally as to progress in the structure. - The proposed Structure creates 4 typical levels
of player - 1. Amateur and Academy players at
clubs. - 2. Club level to Provincial Player
(Clubs/Semi-Pro clubs/ teams /Vodacom and Celtic
Cup/Super Sport and possibly Currie Cup) - 3. Established Provincial to International
Provincial Player ( Currie Cup /
Vodacom RS14 and SA A side) - Established International Player (Vodacom RS14
Int. Test Matches) - Levels 2,3 and 4 will include semi-professional
and professional players
5 Criteria (continued)
- Typical Professional Player participation
including every match in each competition (incl.
Semi-finals and finals) but excluding warm up
games and friendlies is as follows. - 2. 30 Games 15 Vodacom another 15
- 3. 29 Games 15 RS14 14CC
- 4. 27 Games 15 RS14 12TESTS
- The current Standard Players Contract prescribes
32 as an ideal number of games.
- Playing structures to be arranged to accommodate
suitable resting periods for all players
as required and professionally determined. - T he maximum number of matches for professional
and semi- professional players to be established
and managed. - Competitions to enhance strength vs. strength at
all times
6Criteria (continued)
- Spectator and Commercial Attractiveness
- Rugby must remain one of the pre-eminent sport in
SA. An attractive competition structure will
ensure the spectator, sponsor and broadcaster
support above other accessible sport
alternatives. - The Sponsorship and broadcasting revenue is
directly linked to the quality of competitions.
The following requirements have been confirmed. - Strength vs. strength to give value for money.
- Competitions in clear broadcast windows.
- Quality preferred to quantity, implement an
uncluttered competition structure - Acknowledge the rugby heritage of domestic
competitions - Unified and consistent positioning and
communication for competition structure
7Objectives for playing structures player levels
- To establish a structure that will automatically
provide a feeder system through the structure to
the top level. - To create opportunities at all levels of the game
and ensure top quality Springbok and Super 14
performance. - To ensure the sustainability of rugby throughout
all the structures at the following levels - Springbok rugby.
- International franchise rugby
- provincial rugby (provinces and semi-professional
clubs) - amateur rugby (clubs)
- school rugby
- mini-rugby
- With the above the available financial resources
must be re-distributed at all levels by the
introduction of certain capping scenarios. - All structures and competitions shall enhance
transformation and abide by the transformation
charter. - Semi-professional clubs/teams to be established
in unions as decided by the union. Number of
clubs/teams to be limited to a maximum of 3 per
union unless otherwise agreed. - 7S and womens rugby needs special consideration
as to establish specific programmes and financial
support.
8Proposed Player Categories
- Professional
- The best players that receive material benefit
and plays rugby on a full time basis. - The number of this category of players to be
capped for different levels of the playing
structure. - For provincial professional players guidelines
for remuneration packages to be negotiated by
stakeholders. - Semi-professional
- A part time player having alternative employment
and/or study obligations. - Players with retainers and/or match fees.
- The retainers as well as match fees to be
negotiated by stakeholders. - These players can also be club players receiving
match fees - Academy Players
- Players with bursaries for study and rugby
academy purposes younger than 21 years of age - Retainers and match fees payable to players are
to be negotiated. - Amateur
- Non contracted player that does not receive any
material benefit whatsoever except for expenses
as provide for in the SA Rugby regulations. - Can receive match fees if selected to
professional teams. - School players
- Players shall not receive any material benefit
whatsoever other than tuition bursaries and out
of pocket expenses
9Proposed SA Rugby Playing Pyramid
Tri-Nations Incoming and Outgoing Tours
SA Rugby
Remuneration driven
Professional
Super 14, Currie Cup other international
Franchises
Provincial Unions
Vodacom Currie Cup / Provincial
Vodacom, club- semi- professional and SASSU
Super Bowl
Semi-Professional Clubs/teams
Opportunity driven
Amateur Clubs special attention to black clubs
semi professional Amateur
Club and CAR
School weeks
Schools
Tournaments
Mini Rugby
10Previously proposed Playing Structure (Sandton
May 2005)
Professional Players
Professional Semi-Professional Academy Players
Academy Players
Amateur Players
Junior league provincial team
11New proposed Playing Structure
Professional Players
Professional Semi-Professional Academy Players
Academy Players
Amateur Players
12Proposed Player Remuneration Guidelines (To be
agreed with Provinces, SAREO and SARPA)
- Number and Renumenaration of Players per
- Franchise/Team Professional Players
- 6/7 X 35 210/245 players agreed upon with SA
Rugby - 3 IN 1 contracts with SA Rugby, franchise and/or
province - Players to be categorized and remuneration
between parties to be agreed - Provincial Professional Players
- 10 per participating province
- Maximum retainer and match fees guidelines to be
determined by stakeholders. - Semi-Professional Players
- Players per province not exceeding 15
- Guidelines for playing fees, bonuses and
retainers to be determined by stakeholders. - Guidelines for match fees for Non-contracted
players to be determined - Academy players
- Unlimited number of players 20 minimum per
franchise - Playing fees and remuneration same as
semi-professional players
13Principles for Franchise Award
- Establish professional franchises to support SA
Rugbys vision - Franchise to recognize present rugby demographics
in SA - Franchise to underline transformation charter and
player development - Franchises to incorporate opportunity for all by
accommodation of all provinces
14Professional rugby Franchises
Super 14
Bulls
Cats
Central Cheetahs
South Eastern Cape
Stormers
Sharks
Falcons
Leopards Pumas
Boland
Border, EP, SWD
Griquas Griffons
Six/seven professional brands
- Other Provinces to be allocated by mutual
consent - Structured promotion and relegation for
participating brands to be agreed - Franchise allocated for 5 years
- Southern Eastern Cape Region to be allowed a
developing year in 2006 - Southern Eastern Cape Region to be entrenched
for period of two years, 2007and 2008. - Brand not participating in Super 14 will play in
other international competitions - Warm up matches will be played against the non-
participating brand at latters stadium as
agreed with SA Rugby - Other Provinces to provide players on pre-agreed
scenario to Franchises - The 7th franchise if agreed to participation
will be considered after 3 years
15Conditions for Franchise Award
- Acceptable Franchise agreement to be concluded
and signed by the end of October 2005. - Every franchise to provide an updated operational
and acceptable 3 year business plan by 30
September 2005. - Review of franchise system and award before the
end of 2009. - Coaching- and support team of the Franchise shall
be appointed in conjunction with SA Rugby. - The Franchise must uphold SA rugbys Super 14
broadcasting and sponsorship obligations. - A Minimum franchise fee of R500 000-00 will be
payable to SA Rugby which will be adjusted
upwards to a maximum of R1m depending on the
number of partners and the business plan. - Accredited academies must be established in every
franchise by December 2006 (20 players minimum). - Franchises shall accept 3-in-1 contract strategy
as agreed between stakeholders for implementation
as soon as practical possible. - Warm up games to be played at smaller/country
venues in accordance with SA Rugby playing
schedule.
16Conditions for Franchise Award
(continued)
- Administrative, management and coaching
assistance to junior partners to form part of
management agreement - Eight players of colour to be included in the
playing franchise squad of thirty players. - Super 14 management committee (Chairman
Rugby-Committee, MD and national coach of SA
Rugby and CEOs and coaches of the Franchises) to
agree on 210/245 top players which will allow for
a draft system up to eight players. - Remuneration and disbursement costs of drafted
players to be agreed by the stakeholders in such
a manner that is not detrimental to any party. - The contracting of foreign members (coaches and
players) for the franchise must be motivated with
the management committee, prior to contracting
the member to the Franchise and agreed in
writing. - Dispute Resolution Committee to address and
regulate player and franchises disputes to be
established by SA Rugby and must be accepted by
the Franchises. All stakeholders must be
involved in the process. - Acceptance of the above conditions shall be
confirmed in writing before the end of August
2005.