The South Western Districts Rugby Union should know their Super 14 fate on Wednesday, at a meeting of the South African Rugby Union in Cape Town.
This follows an earlier meeting in Johannesburg, where Eastern Province and Border Unions became the new partners of a South Eastern Cape franchise that will be launched on June 16 and 17 – as part of the British & Irish Lions’ match against a SA Coastal XV in Port Elizabeth.
SAPA reports that at this stage the Eagles, the SWDRU’s professional team, seems to be in the Super Rugby wilderness.
SWDRU boss Stag Cronjé would not be drawn into speculation about his Union’s future involvement in the SEC franchise – previously known as the Souther Spears.
The name for the new franchise will be confirmed at a later date, but it will not be called the Spears.
“The issue is very sensitive and will be discussed on Wednesday,” Cronjé said.
“For us in the Southern Cape it is a sore point, but I don’t want to comment until after the meeting,” he said bluntly.
At the same time new EPRU president Cheeky Watson said he was told that it was the SWDRU’s own decision to break away from the Spears – “to rather play under Western Province” in the Stormers region.
Watson told the Kaapse Son newspaper it will not be a positive step if the SWDRU decide to return to the franchise.
“I know the issue is on Wednesday’s agenda, but I will for sure not support a return [by the Eagles] to the Eastern Cape,” Watson told the newspaper.
“Geographically it will also be better if they join somebody else,” Watson was quoted as saying.
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isnt the eagles the most successful of the lot?
@PJLD (Comment 1) :
Since when does success on the field count when it comes to Eastern Cape rugby??? 😉
@PJLD (Comment 1) :
Yes, easily but that will no doubt change if the SE Cape franchise gets off the ground and will be a natural home for the top SWD players -regardless of wether SWD goes the WP route or not. Fact is if there are any SWD players good enough for the Stormers then they are proibably with them already.
Some difficult times ahead for SWD rugby.
@Salmonoid (Comment 3) : where’s Kandas when you need him… ?
With a Map of the SA unions in front of me I would say SWD could fit in either with WP or with EP.
Hey…what does WHITE stand for?
‘Mighty’ Elephants?? 😯
@wpw (Comment 7) : Should be dumbo.
@robdylan (Comment 4) :
True, has he ever visited Sharksworld?
@Salmonoid (Comment 9) : Yeah he has…
@KSA Shark © (Comment 5) : Nice map. Who picked the colours?
@Salmonoid (Comment 9) : oh yeah… usually when somebody says something disparaging about SWD 🙂