Is South African Rugby afraid of Rugby League?

[PrimroseAndBlue]

The last two players banned by the RFU for playing League were both deemed to have professionalised themselves despite playing League only as amateurs- 1994 I think.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Referring to the OP I wouldn't know of course but would be surprised if it weren't the case that SARL's struggles for recognition is more due to good old no common sense SA bureaucracy.

I'm in the building industry and can tell you I feel like cracking open a bottle of the good stuff any time I manage to get a client approval for building work. I could go into hilarious detail but fear I don't have the time and it'd get me in a bad mood again just considering the BS hoops we have to jump through routinely. I recently also had the mind-blowing experience of trying to get passports for my children. I expect its worse in SA sports everything considered. SA is a very interesting in that the ANC's idea of creating jobs is to weigh all facets of life in SA down with red tape and inept officials/clercs/inspectors.

 

[RoosTah]

Cheers both @TRF_stormer2010 and @TRF_heineken for the responses.

Given the other post on here about how your government is now preventing you from bidding for hosting International events because of quotas, I'm increasingly inclined to think this is one of those situations where if you have a choice between a conspiracy and a bunch of f##k ups, you go with the latter.

Reading the original article it just seemed bizarre to me that a sport that most South Africans don't even know exists would be actively held back despite its already incredibly minor position.

That said, I've often wondered what South Africa would have been like at League if it had gained a foothold early there like it did in Australia. You certainly have the sort of big bodies up front and talented backs to be bloody good at it.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Cheers both @TRF_stormer2010 and @TRF_heineken for the responses.

Given the other post on here about how your government is now preventing you from bidding for hosting International events because of quotas, I'm increasingly inclined to think this is one of those situations where if you have a choice between a conspiracy and a bunch of f##k ups, you go with the latter.

Reading the original article it just seemed bizarre to me that a sport that most South Africans don't even know exists would be actively held back despite its already incredibly minor position.

That said, I've often wondered what South Africa would have been like at League if it had gained a foothold early there like it did in Australia. You certainly have the sort of big bodies up front and talented backs to be bloody good at it.

True, but I can see why this code would be purposely held back. We are already struggling to promote the other mainstream sports, so why would we go and waste time and effort in getting another one off the ground that we already know would directly negatively affect one of our mainstream sports. I have watched league a bit since joining this forum in an attempt to grow my knowledge of the differences between union and league. And I can see why it won't be so warmly welcomed in SA. League takes away certain areas which are in union which we South Africans love, one of them is the scrum.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I don't know that it would directly negatively effect Union in SA though. I'd imagine Union would have such a financial head start on any other contact sport in SA that if any player looked good enough one of the bigger unions would/could simply buy them out. The way I see it is League would for all intents and purposes just be another player development resource for Union without having to actually invest in it. I mean Union is so entrenched I can't see League being a hindrance from a spectator/player drain POV, not in comparison to our other issues (political interference and player drain to richer clubs).

 

[TRF_heineken]

I don't know that it would directly negatively effect Union in SA though. I'd imagine Union would have such a financial head start on any other contact sport in SA that if any player looked good enough one of the bigger unions would/could simply buy them out. The way I see it is League would for all intents and purposes just be another player development resource for Union without having to actually invest in it. I mean Union is so entrenched I can't see League being a hindrance from a spectator/player drain POV, not in comparison to our other issues (political interference and player drain to richer clubs).

Maybe, but as I see it, with regard to the OP, if the Rhinos are backed into a corner and have no choice but to join SARU (due to SASCOC's ineptness), then SARU will have another code and all it's problems (if any) to deal with, and that will mean that SARU will have to employ more people and also financially aid League Rugby, and try to get it off the ground. It will most certainly be a massive undertaking at the beginning, and as things are, SARU already have their hands full with EP Kings and their troubles.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Yeah, I can't see SARU taking on RL. My comment was assuming that RL would be their own independant body. The mere fact that Roux wrote a letter stating that RL is a seperate sport both indicates they are not interested in either opposing RL getting registered under SASCOC or having RL under their own banner. I can fully understand why they would not want the latter and they should not have to make up for SACOC's ineptitude so in that light I can understand why they are disinterested in allowing SARL to go forward under SARU's banner.