SA Rugby's compelling case to host fans in stadiums was strengthened after the sport department director general’s office said it had received and approved operational guidelines and plans from the rugby governing body to stage various events.
SA Rugby bosses, led by president Mark Alexander, made a virtual presentation before parliament’s sports portfolio committee this week and revealed the organisation is planning for a 100% capacity event at the 55,000-seater Cape Town Stadium for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in September.
The organisation said tickets for the three-day event from September 9 to 11 went on sale on February 28, and are selling fast as 40 men and women’s teams from across the globe head for Cape Town.
Department of sport director-general Vusi Mkhize said SA Rugby had been in constant dialogue with the sports ministry and formed part of a team the department had established to find ways for a safe return to stadiums.
Mkhize said operational plans and guidelines from SA Rugby for various events had been received, analysed, adjudicated and approved.
“We are developing those guidelines,” Mkhize said.
You go to the Waterfront in December and you’ve got over 100,000 people at the shopping centre ... It’s the same at the beaches, at the airports, but we are not allowed to host spectators in open-air stadiums. I just feel there are double standards being practised.
— SA Rugby president Mark Alexander
“SA Rugby has been one of the federations doing their utmost to host spectators, despite restrictions of 2,000 spectators.
“They’ve been trying to make sure that we can have an informed decision as a country on how best we can have spectators return.
“I know the country is waiting with bated breath for spectators to return to stadiums. I can assure everyone that a lot of work has been done behind the scenes to prepare an announcement to have spectators returning to support their favourite teams.”
Rugby bosses developed grey hairs overnight after government announced this week that tight restrictions around fans in stadiums would remain in place for another month, after the national state of disaster in response to Covid-19 was extended to April 15.
The extension means that sports organisations, such as SA Rugby, will continue to be limited to 2,000 spectators in stadiums, but pressure is mounting on government to lift the state of disaster that has been in place for two years.
SA Rugby said the union “has been in ICU” for the past two years due to the cancellation of revenue-generating events.
SA Rugby finance boss Abubakar Saban said the rugby community can barely keep the lights on due to the restrictions.
“The no-crowd policy will lead to the sport becoming bankrupt this year if it is prolonged and will take years to recover,” Saban said.
The SA Rugby CFO said the four SA teams playing in the United Rugby Championship (URC) against sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales were feeling the squeeze of the limited-crowd policy.
“For the teams participating in the URC to keep the lights on with no fans in the stadiums, we are looking at an average of a R30m shortfall only for the interim of 2022, having just about survived to keep the lights on since 2020 through to 2021,” Saban said.
“It is critical that we get back to some form of normality to be able to secure the revenue that is required to run the sport and keep it sustainable.”
Saban said the organisation would break even for 2021, after its efforts to mitigate loss of revenue were effective, but said cash reserves were empty.
Alexander echoed Saban and said the seating restrictions were a major problem that might lead to staff retrenchments at stadiums.
“The 2,000 people limitation does not even cover costs to open the gates. We’re running at huge losses. If we can’t get spectators, we’re going to lose more people — not only the stadium workforce, but throughout the unions,” Alexander said.
“The collective loss from the restrictions is R250m.”
Alexander accused the government of double standards over how non-sporting events have had bums on seats.
“You go to the Waterfront in December and you’ve got over 100,000 people at the shopping centre, with no showing of vaccination certificates and no social distancing.
“It’s the same at the beaches, at the airports, but we are not allowed to host spectators in open-air stadiums. I just feel there are double standards being practised when it comes to sports,” he said.
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