South African rugby could stand to lose up to R300 million if a dispute in player workloads results in the Currie Cup being called off this year.
Players’ association MyPlayers are in a battle with rugby employer’s organisation Sareo which could lead to the Currie Cup not taking place in 2024.
SA Rugby had shifted the Currie Cup to take place between July and September this year – to avoid overlapping with the Vodacom URC – but still needed approval from MyPlayers.
However, MyPlayers are resistant to the Currie Cup taking place during what is usually an eight-week off-season for professional players and have referred the matter for formal arbitration.
According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, Sareo chief executive Barend van Graan presented the potential multi-million rand losses to rugby bosses during a virtual meeting this week.
Premier Division teams could lose R10 million each that they receive from SA Rugby from the broadcasting rights deal.
SA Rugby could also lose R26 million in major sponsorship if the issue is not resolved in time.
While the four main franchises – the Lions, Sharks, Stormers and Bulls – still have the URC and Champions Cup, the smaller unions are reliant on the Currie Cup Premier Division to bring in money through sponsorship, ticket sales and season tickets.
Photo: Charle Lombard/BackpagePix
The post SA Rugby facing R300m Currie Cup hole appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
