Update: Thanks to the generosity of the parents of 4 players, all 22 KZN Schools squad members received blazers before Craven Week and were seen wearing these during the opening ceremony, which was broadcast on national television. Interestingly not a single one of the four players is linked with a move to the Sharks next year.
Original blog: The unhappiness started at Bondedag in Sasolburg on 27 June 2015 when of all the various Union’s teams competing, the KZN teams were the only ones without proper team jerseys and tracksuits.
Bad feelings were then elevated after Craven Week players’ parents were initially informed that blazers would form part of the ±R4000 per player expense package for the trip to the Western Cape only for their sons to later be told that blazers had been excluded.
An official at Kings Park said this was a matter for parents to take up with the High School Exec and not the
Sharks.
I think this issue is a disgrace. These young men make such an effort to play for their respective provinces. They are not even rewarded with a blazer and cap. They have to provide for it themselves, SARU and the home unions should pay. Craven Week is a farce anyway !!
It seems the SA rugby unions are not min a good way financially? We have this thread on KZN – the Bulls have been referenced on other threads – and now the Kings are having issues with their coach (Carlos Spencer) who is leaving???
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/CurrieCup/Spencer-upset-over-unpaid-Kings-wages-20150722
A sad indictment of poor commercial management – or just an indication of the tough economic times?
@Tarpeys: It’s all very easy – open the books. The finances are going to be simple, income and expenditure account. Ou Star could do this in his sleep.
Someone drew up the memo that’s is printed at the top of this, surely they chose someone with more than grade 11 Maths Literacy to add up the costs and divide by X. Then if the left column is smaller than the right column you have a problem.
The hard part is going to be publishing it. The Union is not good at the way they account for money, votes and due process. It’s about time someone called them to order. It’s a tired little insider dominated circle of back scratchers.
If you consider that the 2 warm up games are included in the levy then it is bloody cheap. The Sharks and SAFU do give money to the teams but not enough. The R7000 from Lion and Pumas would be about right. I agree though that in an ideal situation, a player shouldn’t have to pay to play for his province.
@RugbyDad: Surely with the Kyocera, Fidelity and huge Cell C branding along with kit manufacturer BLK there would be zero costs for kit.
By my reckoning, the kit (without blazer) would come to around R1500. Flights would be another R2000. Bus transport to the various venues and around CT would cost around another R2000 per player. Accommodation and meals would be between R2200 and R3000 per player (if not more). This gives you a minimum total of around R7700 – without blazer.
This is comparable to the Pumas amount above, so KZNRU would’ve had to sponsor about half.
@Freestate: Its called a pyramid scheme
KZN-side can count themselves lucky – the Pumas CW players had to fork-out R7,500 per player for the week – and this AFTER their flights had been sponsored by one of the parents. Entire team and management (apart for a fortunate 3) stayed in PR Hostel, so that couldn’t have been too expensive either. Wonder who has got their hands in the cookie jar there???
@Gungets Tuft: I agree with you. I’m not sure why, when you are awarded provincial honours, any payment is needed. Secondly, notice how the influx of talented players to the sharks academy has diminished. After this treatment, why would any of the CW gang sign for the Sharks. Ask Cameron Wright why he left.
Symptomatic of the power games being played at Kings Park. The people pulling the strings have only their own interests (positions with SARFU). Everything they’re doing is to progress their own careers, the boys are an anecdote. That the same seems to be happening at other Unions is sad but not surprising.
As for the R4000 levy, with a list of what was to be provided – until a proper accounting has been made of the money, my assumption has to be that someone has had their paws in the cookie jar.
Sad it had to come to private sponsorship – but really happy for the boys involved. I hope they got caps too? Well done to the parents involved – I’m sure the boys are not aware of the impact that you have actually had – and glad you were able to contribute.
@Muzi: I think all the franchises are in for a revamp, I would bet attendance is down at most stadiums in SA, Most senior coaches, but particularly recent Bok coaches get a messianic complex (I am Jesus Christ). Mallet, White and the current cat are in that league. We cannot compete internationally with our current style of play, skop en Donnner.
@Die Ken:
It’s just not Burger Odendaal alone that got stuffed up by FL…Bulls have lost Jurie Linde, WSS, Venter, Rohan Janse Van Rensburg….Swanepoel maybe the next to go….accommodating JJ @13 was the worst decision ever….I fear the worst for Dan Kriel, Franco Nuade, JT Jackson….Bulls need a quality head coach not some “fly-by-night” wannabe head coach like that arrogant bloke Oom Matfield…things are not all rosey at loftus….the dark days like in the year 2000 have returned
@Muzi: If all you’re saying is true, it would be the perfect time for the Lions to lure Burger Odendaal back to his roots. He was such a skillful fly/12 at school and the Ludeke game has forced him into a Jannie Claassens/Dries Scholtz type. He would do much better across the Jukskei
@Muzi: Not very good comments on the Bulls at all. Maybe let us in on whats really going on there…………
@Rugger fan: That was correct as all the other teams had their costs built into the overall cost. The u16B side only played in Vryheid.
In other news apparently Dahl is captain! Not too sure, could be wrong though
@umbiloburger: The costs were minimal – but the boys were all asked to provide R200 to the coach to pay for food for trip – as he had paid out of his own pocket.
@Rugger fan: sorry but those facts aren’t quite correct. The boys were all given a substantial meal pack from Peppers& Pans when they left DBN and they ate supper and breakfast in the hostel in Vryheid. They were all then given a meal pack from the hosts just before the bus returned to DBN. This included the U16B team.
I believe some interesting things transpired on the Bulls overseas trip between the coach and some of the senior players….
I believe you spell Bulls n-e-p-o-t-i-s-m…..
@ Muzi – Xander who
???, as “High Performance Manager” he should have followed Frans 
@Playa: Oom Matfield as head coach will be disaster…Bulls will take five step backwards…he knows absolutely bugger all about coaching…he was “window shopping” for FL’s position this year….that man is an arrogant snake….just the other day on a T.V. he was waxing lyrical about his coaching “credentials” disgraceful it’s like he knows his good mate Xander will just make him head coach FFS…
@Djou: I was going to get a divorce with the Bulls if FL was still head coach in 2016……now that he’s gone I’m willing to give Nollis Marais a chance to prove himself…if push comes to shove I will burn my pink Bulls jersey then perhaps decide to support a NZ side…that’s how gatvol I am with Xander, Barend….FFS five years without silver wear is a disgrace!
@BOG: I think WSS finally came to his senses…he will join Francois Venter next year at the Cheetahs…I have no idea what is going on with the injury prone Dries Swanepoel….last I heard he was on his way to Montpellier who knows Nollis Marais might convince him to stay…Xander has snapped up that talented youngster from Grey Lourens Steenkamp pity he got injured this year.
Eish, it shouldn’t cost the parents anything in the first place. The Union should cover all expenses for boys representing them, buggers! I mean leaches like Mouritz and Fatt Stevens etc probably make about R20k a week warming the bench and eating cake, surely R4k a player is nothing for the Union who has just brought in Willie Le Roux and co….fekkers!
Capping ceremony was well before the Vryheid trip vs Pumas and the Bondedag – so no need not to have kit and jerseys by then.
The letter is very clear about what parents and boys were paying for!
Another aside to this is the U16B team – were at the capping ceremony but were not allowed inside but waited outside. Although they only played a single invitation game vs the Pumas – they also received nothing (not even socks) and had to pay for food on their trip too.
Are starting to see the emperors new clothes along with the Bulls?
Simply not good enough! Parents and some of the coaching staff had to get involved a while back ahead of CW when it emerged that no provision had been made for blazers or the traditional cap. After that year it seemed that it had been sorted out but it appears not.
@Muzi: I always like your comments. You talk so much sense. Don’t disappear again.
You searching for a new team to support?
@Muzi: Just a pity that this has happened only after so many Freestaters, have moved there
@Muzi: Brace yourself because Oom Matfield is coming
@BOG: “Boetie Boetie” ruined the Bulls….we’re in KAK…if a bloke like Oom Matfield becomes the head coach then that’s it….we’re finished Xander is like a power hungry dictator like Blatter….at this stage only a miracle can save us from joining Border, Griffons, SWD, Limpopo Bulls….the shit has just hit the fan….
@Playa:
@Playa: You beat me to that comment, on Border and the Bulls
@Playa:
Looks like a flashback to the beginning of the end of Border Rugby back in the mid-late 90s. I seriously hope it isn’t anything like that. I wouldn’t wish such a thing on any union…not even the Bulls
Poor showing from the Union and the KZN high schools exec. I saw pictures and wondered why our boys were playing in Grey practice jerseys.
If they didn’t do their sums when putting the costs together then it should be up to them to pay the difference, not the parents. It is a lot of money to shell out only to be told that they need to cough up another 500 bucks etc.
Shoddy organizational skills which seems to be the norm in Durban these days.
Is this not just a sign of the health of the great union -and other symptoms include the exodus of senior players and administrators?
Remember this article on PMBurg based John Mitchell a frew months back – http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Sharks-couldnt-afford-Mitchell-20141204