There’s a Media Statement on Saracens website:
Now that all discussions between various stakeholders have been concluded, Saracens has decided the Heineken Cup match against Biarritz on Saturday January 14th will be played not in Cape Town, but in London.
The innovative English champion club was eager to host the first Heineken Cup match ever played outside Europe, to stage a special, spectacular rugby event and to project brilliant images of Cape Town and European rugby around the world. However, we have no wish to be a catalyst for conflict between the City of Cape Town and the Western Province Rugby Union.
Well, they’ve got a whole different image of Cape Town now, thanks to the WPRU.
You may have read my initial thoughts on this here.
Funny, isn’t it? Because Toby Titus, President of the WPRU said that the reasons behind their decision:
once again shows loyalty to its suite holders and fans who regularly attend matches at Newlands
Those same fans that won’t have any chance of seeing a top class European rugby game now. Because Saracens don’t want to play at Newlands. They wanted to play at the Cape Town Stadium. That’s why they applied to play at the Cape Town Stadium.
Is any of this becoming any clear to you yet, Toby?
Evidently not. Here’s Toby again:
The WPRU wholeheartedly embraces the idea of Cape Town attracting international matches and looks forward to hosting other high profile matches at Newlands.
Nope. Saracens have cancelled and Cape Town – and for Cape Town, you can read Newlands – is only getting one crappy Argentina test next year. No Australia, no New Zealand, none of the three England matches. Those are all going to World Cup stadiums in other parts of the country. It looks like England will be playing one of their tests in Nelspruit, for goodness sake. Nelspruit! Why? Because they have a decent stadium and an accommodating rugby Union. Two things missing in the Newlands/WPRU equation.
And who’s whining about that decision? Its Toby!
PE got the All Black Test this year, and the Sevens tournament, and now an England Test. It is an unfair distribution.
Cape Town didn’t have a Test this year, and we accepted that. What is the reason that Cape Town didn’t qualify for an Australian or England Test, or the All Blacks?What about the people in Cape Town and the Western Cape? We have the best attendances at our matches. It’s not just about Western Province, but all the people of the Western Cape.
Ah yes, the people in Cape Town and the Western Cape, whose interests you have served so well lately.
Cry me a river, Toby, and then read this line quoted just below your whinging:
WPRU’s reluctance to utilise the purpose-built Cape Town Stadium and the manner in which it dealt with Saracens request to use Cape Town Stadium may have hindered their chances and hurt their case to bring top quality rugby to the people of the Western Cape.
Hello? McFly?
No? Still nothing? Never mind. We’ll keep trying, Toby.
Someday, the blinkers are going to have to come off and then there’ll be a whole real world for you to take in. When that moment comes, we’ll be here to help.
It’s mildly interesting to me to know that the City charges WPRFU fees for all events staged at Newlands. Things like traffic police and so on. I’m just wondering why they don’t just set those prices a whole lot higher. For everyone. And then let it slip that it’s because of Newlands Rugby ground that this is happening, and that if WPRFU moved some of their matches (the big ones, i.e. Super Rugby, Tests) to the Cape Town Stadium the prices for everyone would be able to come down.
How long before the WPCA, and a couple of others, added their weight to the calls to move?
Or failing that, the City should simply refuse to allow sports events of any magnitude at Newlands Rugby Ground, citing the congestion and impact on the community during these events. Essentially it does lie within the power of the City to force the move if they really wanted to.