Latest news with #SouthAfricanRugbyUnion
IOL News
5 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
SA Rugby to unlock new revenues as full shareholders in URC from next season
South Africa will see a bigger revenue picture when they become full partners in the United Rugby Championship (URC) from the end of June this year. While the URC has treated the South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) and the four franchises the way full members have been treated, CEO Martin Anayi confirmed this week they will be granted equity in the URC and European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) competitions. SA Rugby's status as a full shareholder promises better financial gains for them, with the mother body no longer required to pay annual participation fees to the URC. The broadcasting and sponsor revenue will now be redirected directly through the URC structure from which SA is set to benefit. 'We effectively treat the South African Rugby Union and the four franchises the same way we do all our members already,' Anayi said this week. 'They are on the same boards and committees. They have the same decision-making. The key thing is they become a full shareholder from the end of June and that is a process that is on-going. From the impact point of view, it is substantial, most importantly from a competitive point of view. We've had three finals in South Africa. 'Yes, we've had two away wins, but those teams (from South Africa) are super competitive, and we've seen over 34 000 tickets sold for the Bulls vs Sharks game (the semi-final at Loftus) already. We had a huge number of tickets sold (last week) for the Sharks game (vs Munster) in the quarter-final. There is a huge engagement which drives everything else. 'It is a very positive relationship with all of the stakeholders in South African rugby, and they want to be part of the league. They are putting the league first. That is a massive boost for the URC. It is fantastic, but ultimately it starts with the most important thing; competitively, those teams are right up there, and they are pushing standards.' Anayi added that the addition of the South African teams made the league more competitive than before. He said it's an important change in June, because South Africa becomes a full shareholder with it. Meaning, they will have equity in the league. He continued that there is no indication that the local sides failed to live up to expectations in the tournament. 'That is a very hard argument to make seeing that SA had three finals in three years. I haven't had that, and it is not something that's been discussed around our table.'
The Citizen
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Panel upholds disciplinary sanction against former WP rugby president Zelt Marais
Despite running in this year's elections, Zelt Marais will not be able to hold any positions in rugby for the next 10 years. Former Western Province Rugby Football Union President Zelt Marais will not hold any positions in rugby until 2034. Picture: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images An independent appeal panel has upheld a disciplinary sanction of misconduct imposed on the former president of the Western Province Rugby Football Union, Zelt Marais, meaning he is ineligible to hold any rugby position at least until October 2034. This comes as the union is about to host its elections to choose a new president and executive council to lead the union out of a period of administrative turmoil. Marais ran in these elections. The former president was found guilty of several charges of misconduct, including bringing the game into disrepute and spreading misinformation, leading to the ban and a suspended R50,000 fine. The charges related to 'various statements made in communications to SA Rugby members and in public forums in 2022 and 2024', a media statement from the South African Rugby Union read. 'Total lack of remorse' 'Mr Marais was suspended for ten years from any and all positions in the South African Rugby Union (Saru), or any other Rugby Body, and from any and all rugby activities for breaching the Saru Code of Conduct,' Saru said. 'The independent appeal panel's 61-page finding held that the sanction imposed by the judicial officer was 'well motivated, among other things for the gravity of the charges, the fact that the acts of misconduct were ongoing, by a very senior office bearer of a member union who was well aware of his duties and responsibilities towards SARU'.' The panel said it and the judicial officer had taken into account 'the total lack of remorse on the part of the appellant, which continued right up to the appeal, his ongoing justification for his actions and in effect still claiming that he was fully entitled to say what he had said on the basis that that what had been stated was 'the truth'. 'There had been no apology for his conduct, and in particular, no public apology for his public remarks. There was ongoing lack of remorse and every possibility that he would continue along this path unless sanctioned in the manner in which the judicial officer decided to sanction his conduct.' As a result of the panel's finding, Marais is ineligible to hold any position in rugby until October 2034.
