SA Rugby

1
SA 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
2
Overview

• 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.

3
Criteria

• 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.

4
Criteria (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

6
Criteria (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

7
Objectives 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.

8
Proposed 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

9
Proposed 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
10
Previously proposed Playing Structure (Sandton
May 2005)
Professional Players

Professional Semi-Professional Academy Players
Academy Players
Amateur Players
Junior league provincial team
11
New proposed Playing Structure
Professional Players

Professional Semi-Professional Academy Players
Academy Players
Amateur Players
12
Proposed 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

13
Principles 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

14
Professional 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

15
Conditions 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.

16
Conditions 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.