SA Rugby set to implement player draft system

[TRF_heineken]

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/sa-rugby-set-to-implement-player-draft-system-20180830

SA Rugby is set to make a groundbreaking decision that will cut the country's professional player pool in half.

According to president Mark Alexander, the new system will aim to reduce the number of professional players in the country from around 990 to around 460.

It means that the major franchises will only be able to contract between 40-50 players per season.

Any surplus players who are not contracted will then be placed into the draft system and used whenever they are needed.


"We've created a false market in this country. It's simply not sustainable having 990 players trying to make a living," Alexander said on Wednesday at the launch of this season's PRO14 in Glasgow.

"We have the biggest number in the world.

"In the new model all the best players will be playing all the time. You won't have the third and fourth choice guys sitting in the store-room.

"Some players will have normal jobs and work in the day, and earn a salary, and then play on weekends, and receive a game fee. Once we bring in the draft system smaller teams will benefit by being able to select players that would ordinarily not get game time at the franchises.

"This initiative is driven by the unions in conjunction with the players and their association," Alexander added.

"They've drafted this document, it's a great one. We should've done this much earlier."

 

[unrated]

I think this is a very bad idea. Let them fend for themselves in a free market environment. If we want to to hog the best players and they want to come here to try their luck in an already ultra competitive squad then i see no problem with that.
Also i like the idea of provincialism, it adds another element to the mix. If they draft players then there is an increased risk that players will move around freely and not represent their own provincial team.

 

[Thingimubob]

Trying to work out how this works exactly?

Are they only drafting players after the top players have already signed for their respective franchises, or is all a draft from day 1? The wording seems to state that the core players of the franchises are likely to stay the same, with then the "squad" players getting dumped into the draft pool?

Either way, not convinced this is a step in the right direction for SA rugby...

 

[TRF_heineken]

Trying to work out how this works exactly?

Are they only drafting players after the top players have already signed for their respective franchises, or is all a draft from day 1? The wording seems to state that the core players of the franchises are likely to stay the same, with then the "squad" players getting dumped into the draft pool?

Either way, not convinced this is a step in the right direction for SA rugby...

I think the plan might create headaches in the short term, but will work better in the long term.

As I see it, the Top 440 or so players that are either playing Super Rugby/Pro 14 and Currie Cup Premier Division will remain with the teams they are with now, and then everyone else will be placed in a drafting pool of some sort, and this will include the Varsity Cup, JWC, Under 21 players. Especially those who play maybe 1 or 2 games for the senior squad as a stop-gap while someone else is injured.

But I agree with unrated, I can't see the feasibility as the sense of provincialism will essentially disappear. And I can't see someone born and raised in Gauteng who wants to play for either the Bulls or Lions, to all of a sudden pack their bags and go and play for the Border Bulldogs...

 

[DumbAmerican]

I think this is a very bad idea. Let them fend for themselves in a free market environment. If we want to to hog the best players and they want to come here to try their luck in an already ultra competitive squad then i see no problem with that.
Also i like the idea of provincialism, it adds another element to the mix. If they draft players then there is an increased risk that players will move around freely and not represent their own provincial team.

You just offered two contradictory thoughts. Let everyone fend for themselves, but limit free movement of players.

It is important for the fans of any sport that revenue be plentiful, but the free market is way too destructive to stability and tradition which are just as important as money for the long term health of any spectator driven sport. Every sport needs some sort of central authority looking out for the good of the game as a whole, and looking at the fans perspective rather than the short term bottom line for the players and owners.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Silly question:
Can young players avoid the draft by going abroad and the joining (already as a pro) the team of their choice.

most of the sports i am aware of that use drafts are kinda isolated in terms of competition (nba, to name one, doenst have a league that can compete with it in terms of talent and resources). That is not the case with rugby in South Africa.

If say, John Smith wants to play for the lions. He also knows that if he gets drafted his odds of ending up in the lions are negligible, what prevents John to play for say, Newcastle for a year or two and then pick whatever team he chooses?

 

[TRF_heineken]

Silly question:
Can young players avoid the draft by going abroad and the joining (already as a pro) the team of their choice.

most of the sports i am aware of that use drafts are kinda isolated in terms of competition (nba, to name one, doenst have a league that can compete with it in terms of talent and resources). That is not the case with rugby in South Africa.

If say, John Smith wants to play for the lions. He also knows that if he gets drafted his odds of ending up in the lions are negligible, what prevents John to play for say, Newcastle for a year or two and then pick whatever team he chooses?

That is a good question, but I think the way it will be structured is that the young guys fresh out of high school will first have to be drafted to a local union before they can go abroad. I think your query would more be associated with the guys who aren't getting drafted, and might fall through the cracks. I know there are a lot of scouts from overseas teams at our high school festivals and Craven Week looking at potential investments, and some High Schools even have a programme where they provide a work opportunity in Italy while playing rugby.