Lions want relegation match

Ex Keo

Lions president Kevin de Klerk says Saru’s proposal of automatic relegation isn’t the fairest way to accommodate the Kings next season.

Saru dropped a bomb on Friday when it confirmed its plan for the last-placed team on the SA conference log to make way for the Kings in 2013. As it stands, the Lions will fall out.

However, this decision is not final. The South African franchises asked for time to discuss an alternative way forward, and they will get their opportunity to negotiate a different solution at a meeting with Saru this Thursday. A final decision will then be made following further meetings with the Saru executive committee on 24 May and the Saru general council on 13 July.

So what is expected to happen at Thursday’s gathering? With the Lions in the hot seat, De Klerk hopes a fair decision can be made.

‘I’m expecting the right outcome,’ De Klerk told keo.co.za. ‘We were one of the unions that voted for the Kings to play Super Rugby, but a solution on how they would be accommodated was never made. We were expecting a “Super 16″ next year. It was never agreed that one of the current franchises would have to fall out of Super Rugby.

‘I think the ideal solution would be having promotion-relegation play-offs. Automatic relegation would have drastic consequences for the relegated franchise [in terms of financial and player loss].’

De Klerk also expressed his disappointment in the delay of a final decision being made, but added that he understood Saru’s difficult position.

‘With all our injuries this season, the fact that we don’t know what’s going to happen does create a lot of pressure. But Saru is also stuck between a rock and a hard place. It made promises to Eastern Province long before I was president of the Lions. I just hope a fair decision can be made.’

Last week, John Mitchell told this site that an amalgamation between the Lions and Cheetahs would be a suitable solution. He believed this would create a team with enough quality depth to challenge for the Super Rugby title. However, De Klerk said the Lions were not backing this initiative.

‘John said that in a personal capacity,’ said De Klerk. ‘I’m not saying a merger is a possible solution, and I’m not saying it isn’t one either. But it’s not a plan that the Lions are considering at the moment

Play a relegation match but Griquas  - the 6th best province. Why do the queens get all this preference.

To me, this whole situation is just ridiculous. How, as a country, do you agree to adding a new team into a league, when you haven't even asked the league or gotten confirmation from the league? Horse before the cart people!

Everything is possible in South Africa. If the future president is to face charges of corruption, and there is a chance that he might face a court case while fighting an election, you get tell the public prosecutor to withdraw the charges. Easy as that.

"you get tell the public prosecutor to withdraw the charges"......is that what passes for English these days?

Ahhh schoolmaster Dead Muzo and his red pen at work again. Now I am in some deep shit.

Shame he can't even invent his own insults. 

This site is really becoming a joke. Can't even get two or three posts into a thread without seeing people calling eachother names, and arguing with each other over something that has nothing to do with the topic, or Rugby.

How old are you guys? Seriously.

@ Mozart......is your Afrikaans as good as ceradynes English?

@Blue.......Sadly lack of use has probably eroded my powers. I still know most of the swear words though.

Can, don't let it get to you.

It seems the Lions have other more pressing issues that could also lead to their relegation

ex:Keo

18 May 2012

The Lions will be ‘automatically relegated’ if they do not resolve a long standing dispute with franchise partners the Pumas and Leopards.

This was decided by Saru at its last executive council meeting, according to an article in the The New Age.

Official documentation in possession of the newspaper says the Lions have until the end of this season to come to an agreement with their partners (the Golden Lions, Pumas and Leopards make up the Lions franchise), who this week confirmed that negotiations relating to the repayment of outstanding broadcasting fees have failed.

‘Our endeavours to resolve this matter out of court have been unsuccessful and we have been left with no choice but to arbitrate,’ Leopards president Andre May told The New Age.

According to the official documentation, until the matter is resolved:

a) Broadcast revenue payments are to be withheld from the Lions
b) Payments of R750,000 each be made to the Pumas and Leopards
c) Automatic relegation from Super Rugby at the end of 2012 Super Rugby competition for the Lions.

I don't think there are relegation matches in most tiered leagues. The trouble is the Kings never won the league below.....so in this instance it's probably the only equitable solution. In the USA this would have been in the courts ages ago.

uhm yeah moz , but if you took the time to read what i posted above, you would maybe have concluded that the current situation at the Lions is not as Rosy, and they have been under threat from SARU to be relegated if they do not resolve their Issues mainly with the Pumas and Leopards.

Clearly there is more to it than pure Rugby.

The Lions are part of the genetic make up of South African rugby. It will be so sad to see them pushed aside.