One of the oldest clichés in the book is that “rugby is a funny old game”

One of the oldest clichés in the book is that “rugby is a funny old game”, a reference to the weird things that can happen on the pitch, but this week we will see one of the stranger things to happen in rugby OFF the field.

Think about it. The Sharks will spend the week in Durban preparing for their away game against the Crusaders, which will be in London, while the Crusaders are in London preparing for their “home”
game against the Sharks. And this for crucial competition points, not a pre-season marketing exercise.

Desperate times often result in desperate measures and the Crusaders’ reaction to the financial crisis caused by the tragic earthquake in Christchurch has been imaginative and far-reaching.

The bottom line is that in taking the game to Twickenham, the Canterbury Union is charging between 30 and 50 pounds a ticket with the probability of a 55 000 sell-out crowd while if the game had taken place in earmarked Timaru, the asking price would have been 15 NZ dollars (six pounds) at a 10 000-capacity stadium. And if the 55 000 tickets looks to be insufficient , the RFU has agreed to release another 5000.

The Crusaders have been forced to use satellite stadiums in their region because of the structural damage to their AMI Stadium (30 000-seater), which has subsequently been ruled out as a Rugby World Cup venue.

England’s RFU initially turned the Crusaders down, but where there is a will there is a way, and the game will now be played on Sunday (to avoid a clash with the Harlequins game on Saturday in the greater Twickenham precinct) at a reduced capacity Twickenham (it can accommodate 82 000 but only selling 55 000 tickets will reduce public transport problems on a Sunday).

In securing the fixture, the Crusaders were helped by a big push from the British Red Cross, which has resulted in five pounds from every ticket going to the earthquake appeal, and that will certainly bring out droves of patriotic Kiwis.

Crusaders CEO Hamish Rioch reflected: “I won’t reflect publicly on the actual (financial) numbers, but it’s significant if we can get everything right and it will enable us to go a long way towards our financial needs for the year and enable us to play the bulk of our remaining home games much closer to home.”

Interestingly, the RFU in a statement last week, estimated that there were 900 000 South Africans in London, 600 000 Australians and 250 000 New Zealanders.

The game has huge appeal given that the Crusaders are the southern hemisphere competition’s most successful side, while the Sharks remain on top of the overall standings having won four of their five matches so far this season.

The losing bonus point they took from their 15-9 defeat in Hamilton on Friday means they return from New Zealand from their shortened tour with a healthy 11 points from a possible 15, with an opportunity of knocking over the Crusaders at a neutral venue this week.

The Sharks will depart for London on Thursday.

by Mike Greenaway www.iol.co.za

It is Kings Park again at last!

It is Kings Park again at last! After an 11- year hiatus and thanks to a magnanimous gesture by sponsors Mr Price, the spiritual home of Sharks and Natal rugby will again be known by the world renowned name it was christened with way back in 1956 when the stadium was built on council land loaned to the Natal Rugby Union for a period of 100 years.

Banking giants Absa bought the naming rights to the stadium in 1999 and after two five-year stints and a one-year add-on, they chose to end their association with the Sharks as they turn their attention to sponsoring the Springboks, who in turn have parted ways with SASOL.

Mr Price, the title sponsors of the Sharks, have beefed up their commitment to the Currie Cup champions by buying the naming rights to the stadium, and the first thing the fashion retailers did was insist on bringing Kings Park into the new name, which will be Mr Price Kings Park.

“We want to give something back to Sharks fans and pay tribute to the history of rugby in this province,” said Mr Price chairman Alastair

McArthur. “While we understand that there is a commercial reality to professional rugby, we also feel that history should not be ignored. It is sad when it is, and all too often we see stadiums completely losing their historical name. We would never have considered ‘Mr Price Stadium’.

The sponsorship deal is for 2011 only but there will then be a new, all-embracing contract running from 2012.

“Our title sponsorship finishes at the end of this year, so we will dovetail the two sponsorships going forward next year,” McArthur said.

Team captain John Smit best summed up the sentiment and emotion around the name when he said: “It means a lot to me personally to have the famous name restored. I started here as a 19-year-old in 1997 and the Stadium was called Kings Park. And now I will finish here at Kings Park (Smit is planning to retire from rugby at the end of this year’s World Cup,” the Springbok captain said. “This change means a lot to me. I have had to bite my tongue for a number of years when ‘Kings Park’ came naturally to my tongue but now I can finish up as a player calling it by a name I got to know and love as a boy.”

Sharks CEO Brian van Zyl said: “We are grateful to Mr Price for incorporating the historical name Kings Park and also for coming to our assistance in filling a financial gap now that Absa is no longer with us.”

by Mike Greenaway www.iol.co.za