Politics clouds selection of fifth South African franchise

Just as New Zealand's rugby administrators are grappling with reworking the NPC for next year, South Africa's officials are trying to make their five Super 14 franchises into a sensible working order.

Easier said than done. Nothing is straightforward in the politics of South African rugby.

A week ago, the South African Rugby Union approved five franchises for the enlarged Super 14 to start next year.

Essentially, it has retained the four current franchises - the Cats, Sharks, Stormers and Bulls - with some provincial alignment tinkering, and given the fifth to the Central Union's bid, which is based around Free State and includes Griqualand West in the Republic's heartland.

The beaten applicant was the Southern and Eastern Cape, the region based around Port Elizabeth in the south of the country and which is known as the only part of South Africa where the black population prefer rugby to soccer. The three components of that bid were carved up into other franchises.

Reaction was swift and furious. Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile described the selection process as "cowardly". Both Stofile and his brother, Saru vice-president Mike Stofile, had been strong supporters of the Cape bid.

"Sarfu has given the growth of soccer in the eastern Cape a major push," added Garth Wright, joint chairman of the beaten bid.

Free State, which have never been comfortable bedfellows with the Johannesburg-led Cats, were delighted with the decision.

"Our presentation to the panel was second only to Western Province's (Stormers), so I think we deserve it," president Harold Verster said, adding that Cats assistant coach and former Springbok Rassie Erasmus would coach.

For a day or so it seemed the beaten applicants would be left to voice their anger and that would be that.

"We will fight to the bitter end," said a defiant Tom Paramoer, joint chairman of the Cape bid, adding that he had been left with the feeling the panel had been looking for reasons not to give it the franchise.

Then political wheels began turning.

Minister Stofile was ironically blamed in some quarters for the decision, having allegedly told Sarfu he did not care where four franchises went as long as the fifth had the stamp Eastern Cape on it.

Sarfu backs went up at that bit of political shenanigans. In addition, Cape officials rejected claims they had visited President Thabo Mbeki to get his backing - but admitted they had a chat with the Sports Minister "to thank him for his support", Paramoer said.

Then word leaked out that the Cape bid was the poorest presentation, relying too heavily on claims that 43 per cent of the country's black players came from the region.

One suggestion has it that while the Free State-led bid has a record of tidy administration, the southern region has not been spotless in the area of off-field governance.

Then, a dramatic development. With Saru president Brian van Rooyen in London, five senior administrators called an emergency meeting of provincial chairmen in Johannesburg tonight to set aside the decision.

Van Rooyen saw red at the whiff of a palace coup. He is furious that moves were made while he was overseas pushing South Africa's case to host the 2011 World Cup, and especially as the instigators were regarded as his allies, including Mike Stofile and former Springbok coach Andre Markgraaff.

"I knew that sinister activities were simmering in the background when I left the country and that people were conspiring behind my back," a defiant van Rooyen said. "It is now quite clear that either they will have to go or I will."

Now the Ministry of Sport and Recreation has stepped in, asking Saru to clarify its decision. Make what you like of that. It's all got a Machiavellian feel to it.

Given the political environment and the way South African rugby operates, Central Unions officials would be wise not to be making plans just yet.

One other point: while four of the franchises make reasonable geographic sense, the fifth, merging Pretoria with Port Elizabeth, is daft. It is like aligning North Harbour and Southland as a Super 14 entity.