Smit to return to Shark Tank

OrbitalDawn

OrbitalDawn

Ulysses Everett McGill
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
47,678
Reaction score
9,368
Location
Aboard the Nostalgia For Infinity
The big unwritten story that has been bubbling under in Sharks rugby for some time may be confirmed on Wednesday – legendary former Springbok captain John Smit will be taking over from Brian van Zyl as chief executive of the franchise.

An impeccable source informed supersport.com last Friday, after the Super Rugby match between the Sharks and the Crusaders, that a meeting had been held the previous week where Sharks roleplayers and board members had decided that they wanted to accelerate the appointment of the new chief executive.

The appointment of 35-year-old Smit was to have been ratified at a board meeting scheduled for next week, but the story was broken in Durban newspapers on Wednesday morning, which will probably mean that the Sharks’ hand has been forced and that they will make an announcement sooner. It is understood that late on Tuesday Van Zyl had not been informed yet of the development.

Van Zyl, in charge at the Sharks since 1994, was set to retire at the end of February next year, with the new appointment being announced in October this year. But it now appears that Smit might be taking charge as soon as July.

The change was to have been finalised a week ago but it was decided not to as the board didn’t want to risk having the decision to make the change appear connected to the heat that the Sharks Rugby Union has taken from the Durban media and public for its handling of the death of Sharks fan Brett Williams in a brawl at the Kings Park Stadium precinct a few weeks ago.

Former Natal cricketer and rugby player Errol Stewart, who has experience in sports administration after working at the ICC, is also understood to have been earmarked for a role within the Sharks set-up and a clean-out of senior personnel at Kings Park may be on the cards.

Smit will in fact be the third former Sharks captain to assume the role of chief executive at the Sharks as the franchise continues to keep it in the family. Van Zyl, who took over from Natal’s first Currie Cup-winning captain Craig Jamieson in 1994, captained Natal in the late 1970s.

If switching from player to administrator so quickly appears to be a massive gamble for Smit, who led the Boks to their second World Cup title in 2007, he can take confidence from the knowledge that he is not the first person to have done so.

Jamieson was only 31, and still leading Natal, when he was approached to take over from Roger Gardner in January of 1992. Jamieson parted ways with Natal in early 1994 when he was appointed to a management role at Rugby World Cup.
Click to expand...

Link.

Interesting development. Always thought he had something worthwhile to offer, even if not always his actual playing ability. :whistle:
 
I think this is good news for both the franchise and the country. There can be no doubt that he was one of the biggest servants to the sport over the last 15 years - a tireless worker who cared for his province (why, I have no idea :p) and his country. At the helm of the sharks, he will no doubt have the interests of the FANS at heart, and that I think is critical. Young blood trumps stuffy suits in this one. No matter where your provincial alliances lie - you gotta accept that he was a great player and a fantastic Bok captain.
 
Getting Smit into Sharks management is brilliant. Having him as CEO, not so much. Am I missing something here? He's a great player, and a proven leader, but going straight to the CEO post seems mad. Does he have any sort of business qualification?
 
I think he did a BCom at UKZN when he first came to the Sharks as an academy player but Im not 100%.
 
So with all his experience and knowledge you want him as a commentator ......... ok :rolleyes:
 
cr@zydude said:
Getting Smit into Sharks management is brilliant. Having him as CEO, not so much. Am I missing something here? He's a great player, and a proven leader, but going straight to the CEO post seems mad. Does he have any sort of business qualification?
Click to expand...

I also think that making someone a CEO when he doesn't have any experience or proven track record is a bit nuts.

He seems like a really nice guy but qualification aside - does he know how to run a business?
 
BobsLawnService said:
I also think that making someone a CEO when he doesn't have any experience or proven track record is a bit nuts.

He seems like a really nice guy but qualification aside - does he know how to run a business?
Click to expand...

Apparently he will be mentored by the outgoing CEO until some time in 2014.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X