Cheetahs and Kings to leave Super Rugby

http://www.planetrugby.com/news/chee...xit-confirmed/

The Cheetahs and Kings have agreed with SA Rugby to end their Super Rugby Participation Agreement from 2018, it has been announced.

The Cheetahs did not take part in the criteria process as they had an agreement in place till 2020, but the Board of the Cheetahs have decided on an amicable settlement with SA Rugby.

This will allow the Cheetahs to explore other international competition opportunities, according to Harold Verster, CEO of the team.

“The board of the Toyota Cheetahs has reviewed the team’s future and is extremely positive about the prospect of appearing in alternative international competitions. It will be an exciting challenge for our players, supporters and commercial partners and will be the start of a new chapter for rugby both in our region and in South Africa. Also, it will allow the Toyota Cheetahs to carve out a new and prominent place on the rugby map in South Africa as well as internationally,” he said.

The announcement was made before a Special General Meeting of SA Rugby in Cape Town on Friday which will formally confirm South Africa’s four participants in the competition next season. The meeting has been called to determine SA’s entrants to fall in line with a SANZAAR decision to reduce the competition’s participants from 18 to 15 teams from next season. The new structure will comprise four teams from South Africa, five from New Zealand, four from Australia and one each from Argentina and Japan.

An announcement on those opportunities for the Cheetahs is expected shortly.

Friday’s General Meeting will continue as scheduled as SA Rugby still have the constitutional responsibility to confirm SA’s entrants in the competition.

The Southern Kings will also explore multiple other international competition opportunities and an announcement on those opportunities is expected shortly.

Andre Rademan, president of the EPRU, said: “It has been a roller coaster ride for the franchise for a number of seasons but there is now a clear and viable way forward for rugby in the Eastern Cape to build on the foundations that have been laid – particularly in the past season.

“We have enjoyed Vodacom Super Rugby but the chance to test ourselves against different opposition in different conditions is a mouth-watering one. We are therefore not opposed to joining new competitions. With all stakeholders pulling in the same direction we can bring success and excitement to rugby in the Eastern Cape.”

Well who would have expected SARU to come out of this looking organised, proactive and forward thinking in comparison to ARU? This is the biggest indictment of he board/executive/school tie brigade to date. If you look more partisan, incompetent and ineffective than SARU, it's time to leave.