Peters looking into Kings' plight
Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:32
New SANZAR CEO Greg Peters
The Eastern Province Kings will find a sympathetic ear in new SANZAR CEO Greg Peters, as they continue their drive towards inclusion in Super Rugby.
The South Eastern Cape region of South Africa, for so long on the outside looking in, is a step closer to a spot in the southern hemisphere's showcase provincial tournament - which next year expands to a Super 15.
Despite numerous undertakings the Kings - who had undergone almost as many name changes as the number of unfulfilled promises - are still waiting for a formal invite into Super Rugby.
In the second part of an exclusive interview with this website, new SANZAR CEO Greg Peters revealed to rugby365.com that they would be listening to concerns about rugby in the South Eastern Cape.
(* To read Part One of Peters's interview with Jan de Koning, CLICK HERE!)
Peters, a New Zealander who will be based in Sydney when he starts in his new role on November 1, admitted one of the big hurdles in his job would be the different dynamics that govern the various domestic competitions in the three SANZAR countries - South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
Australia have an enormous gap between their club competitions and Super Rugby, while New Zealand and South Africa have well-established domestic provincial competitions that serve as a feeder to their Super Rugby teams.
"Indeed, rugby doesn't have the same spread across the calendar in Australia - as it does in South Africa and New Zealand," Peters said.
"The introduction of the new Melbourne Rebels team will provide a new exciting dimension to them [Australia] as regards to Super Rugby next year," he added.
And the plight of the EP Kings, who currently play in South Africa's First Division (of the Currie Cup), will also receive attention.
"Yes, we also need to listen to some of the South African concerns regarding their South Eastern Cape area," he said. "We must see if we can help South Africa with some of their problems in that area as well."
Peters said there was general excitement to get the expanded Super Rugby competition off the ground next year, in the hope that conference system and derbies across all three countries will produce the same high profile and intensity as South Africa's traditional north-south derby - Bulls versus Stormers, or Blue Bulls versus Western Province - has.
"I think it is an exciting new competition, because of the conference nature of it and the local derbies," Peters said.
"One of the really good examples of how New Zealand and Australia need to learn from South Africa is in the Stormers versus Bulls round-robin game, which was sold out five weeks in advance.
"It is that type of tribalism we need to get back across the competition.
"The conference structure should provide a vehicle for us to be bale to do that," he added.
By Jan de Koning
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