SA Rugby warned of Champions Cup backlash as Sharks owner issues ‘clear’ threat to governing body

Sharks owner Marco Masotti has threatened to stop ‘funding the losses’ should SA Rugby take them out of the Investec Champions Cup.

It was revealed last week that SA Rugby were reviewing the schedule given the workload placed on the players, with the South African and European-based Test stars on the go for the whole year.

They are therefore considering their options, and it is understood that the governing body are considering pulling their franchises out of the Champions Cup.

However, that has been met with a firm response from the Sharks owner, who has warned of the fiscal consequences of leaving the biggest club competition in the north.

Claims SA Rugby would be making a mistake

While Masotti stated he is “very concerned about player welfare” and that it is “an important conversation”, he believes that it would be a mistake financially to make that call.

“It is important for rugby that we invest in the club game and have the South African franchises play in the most high-profile and lucrative competitions,” he told KickOff Rugby.

“The major South African franchises operate at a loss, and someone like me needs to cover them.

“The model of SARU making decisions for private businesses and effectively pushing the costs of financing the game in South Africa onto the major unions is not sustainable.”

Masotti has therefore issued a threat to SA Rugby if the governing body does indeed decide to leave the Champions Cup when they meet in July to make a decision.

“We need much more of the pie so we can build local depth and manage player welfare,” he said.

“Let me be clear — I will no longer fund the losses (and all of the owners will feel the same way) if we pull out of the Champions Cup.”

SA Rugby to make ‘tough’ Champions Cup decision as president bemoans global calendar delays

The Sharks owner’s comments came after SA Rugby president Mark Alexander admitted that they would be looking at where they could free some space in order to manage the workload of the players.

Although Alexander did not specifically mention the Champions Cup, it has been widely reported that an exit from the competition is being considered.

President’s view

“We generate our income from participating in tournaments. Participation is important, but our players are overworked,” he said.

“We will hold a workshop in July in which we will have to decide which competitions will be retained and which ones we can drop.

“We have to find a balance so that our players can rest enough. They cannot play 11 months of the year.”

South Africa aligned their club season with the northern hemisphere in 2021 after leaving Super Rugby a year earlier.

Their four biggest franchises – the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers – joined the United Rugby Championship and were then invited to play in the Champions Cup, providing they qualified via their league position, ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

None of those teams have ever passed the quarter-finals, however, and the Bulls and Stormers were both knocked out at the last-16 stage in April.

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