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Though an arbitrator decided SA’s professional rugby players must rest for eight weeks straight, SA Rugby has been keen to remind it was merely a draft ruling and the matter is not settled.
The long stand-off between Sarpa (the SA Rugby Players’ Association) and Sareo (the SA Rugby Employers’ Organisation) moved closer to finality with the arbitrator ruling in favour of the players. However, SA Rugby, through its legal team, is carefully studying the ruling and hoping to have a decisive say in the stand-off.
At the crux of the matter is the players’ eight-week rest period that Sarpa argues should be taken all at once by all their players. SA Rugby, however, has tried to re-energise the Currie Cup by moving it into a time slot that does not overlap with the United Rugby Championship (URC).
To that end they have secured sponsorship that exceeds R300m with SA Breweries to help restore some of the competition’s lost lustre. However, the time slot envisaged for the tournament is in the period usually reserved for the players’ rest.
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