Reading at some earlier posts from members about teams that gets promoted from SLB to SLA and if they are good enough to play in SLA made me so sad. How can people say that clubs who dont have the money or sponsors cant survive in SLA? What will happened to club rugby in WP if this is the case. Looking at some clubs in SLA and the kind of sponsors they attrack; the money that they have; the player base they have; the money players get paid from that club how come only Maties are the most successfull club in SLA in terms of winning the league over the past 2 decades? Since some clubs in SLA is almost semi-proffesional I have a suggestion that may help stop WP Rugby Union from signing players from other unions and start using their own club players. 

1. Create a semi proffesional league from clubs in SLA - clubs who do have the financial stability and who have the coaches to help players to get mentally and physically strong to play Currie Cup and Super 15 will play in this league.

2. Create 1 super league from SLA and SLB - these clubs will supply the semi - pro league with players. An playing fee per player will be determined by WP rugby Union and the clubs will have to obey this. The normal relegation at the end of the season will apply in this league as the rest of the lower leagues will stay the same with the division champs from the league below the Super League obtaining promotion.

I know that some people may laugh at my suggestion and say NO WAYS but at the end of the day this may be our only option if we want to see club players making the WP/STORMERS side and for club rugby to survive

This way will even further push the club player from potential provincial selection. The idea is divisive in its concept whereas the current setup aims to be inclusive.

Im not sure how long you have been involved in club rugby and rugby in general, but this idea definitely will not see the light of day, nor will it work if it was. Keeping the creme on top and let the bottom guys stay there hey ..

Correct me if I am wrong, but what you are proposing is to combine the two top leagues and have a salary cap - I do not see how this will help anything.  Except for a couple of clubs and the universities, all the other clubs are struggling to make ends meet.

bon are you from Villager?

Sounds very much like the Bossie Clarke proposal

Am I right but is Bossie Clarke's motives based on the fact that Villager could soon be a club that dissapears very much like the old Gardens club did?

Noble idea to incorporate a salary cap, however just not feasible.  CF, bit drastic insinuating that Villagers are going down that severely dont you think?  However im guessing you just trying to make a point

 @capeflats and @anyone else that thinks Villager FC are going down

It's true that times were looking gloomy at one stage last year... but the committee scrambled to sort things out.

Now with a new, younger,  invigorated committee (100% backed by the previous committee). A solid sustainability plan has been put in place which will not only see us survive, but will help us grow from strength to strength. (We have set ourselves conservative monthly targets to reach our 3 and 5 year plans... and am happy to report that we are smashing them)

ERGO! VILLAGER FC AINT GOING NOWHERE!

VIVA VILLAGER! VIVA!

WP is making the clubs fight over problems they have no control. As we all know  money in club rugby is a futile excersise. One of the reasons it became so out of control was the open clubs wanted take on the likes of Maties and UCT. This however did not materelize as clubs will never have the influx of young talented playes as the Universities. With the Varcity Cub it is even getting further out of reach. Clubs are competing stronger and are beating them more often but just dont have the depth to sustain it.  For now the money has dried up. Maybe it will change in the future. Anybody involved in club rugby will know the amount of work that goes into running a selfstainable club. One can only sell so many hamburgers and cooldrinks and are very much reliable on sponsors. If only WP can give players hope that if they do play for other clubs except the Universities they can get called up for higher honours. This will be a huge step towards helping clubs survive.

Solution = The Unversities can fight it out in the Varsity Cup and us Clubs can do our thing in SLA,SLB and so on.....

And come end of the year we can have Top of SLA vs top Varsity Cup... Maybe


I agree with Fishmonger impossible to compete with the varsity's its silly really why should we??

UCT like other clubs struggles to raise monies to operate the club, like most other clubs and it takes a lot of fundraising to try to balance the books. They rely mainly on sponsors and individuals to donate.The varsities do have a massive advantage in attracting players due to the exposure. I heard that a lot of the WP under 21 team will be turning out for UWC this year. It would be great if WP could "support" UWC and get them into the top tier of Varsity Cup and beyond.... 

 I think its fantastic that through the club system that Ideries Arendse is in the Stormers squad now and due to play vs Boland and was on their camp.  Its great if we can see club players coming through. he is an amateur and, I heard, supported/paid personally by Levy and Dobson. Pity the union dont help these guys come through themselves to make it possible for them to train, transport, eat etc