Fulcrum29
Honorary Master
You go by provinces, like Mallet suggested,
which greatly depends where players are developed. The smaller unions outside will need to unite with the larger unions. The WPRU and Boland alone are a large unit. As you can see Mallet’s suggestion that PE needs a Super Rugby presence, and since they are also developing players, it is viable.
Optimally SARU will need to look at,
Gauteng,
KwaZulu-Natal,
Free State,
Eastern Cape, and
Western Cape
as separate entities in a preeminent competition, unite the smaller unions within their provinces and ally those outside these provinces to develop where short. Pumas can supply the Sharks, Griquas can supply the Cheetahs and so on, as long as they are being developed. Now that SARU is looking at promoting the two relegated Super Rugby teams to a possible European competition in 2019, think how many players can be retained under such a structure within SA. Private ownership in the commercial arms will also largely contribute, if it is managed correctly.
Provincial competitions will also become more grass rooted. Remember, when you look at your larger unions, remember from where the players were recruited from. SA Rugby needs a better return on their investment, and this is a solution.
...and for vark sakes, the unions need to look better after club rugby, quality are produced there too, not only at university.
