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South Africa’s Super Rugby teams have threatened to boycott the competition in 2013 if any of them are excluded, after local officials mooted the idea of sending another team.
The teams have sent a letter to the South African Rugby Union (SARU) demanding the southern hemisphere championship expand its 2013 edition to 16 teams if South African officials insist on including newcomers Southern Kings, Rapport newspaper reported.
SARU president Oregan Hoskins told the newspaper he would forward the letter to the nine other unions involved in the contest and that it “will be in the hands of all unions to decide which teams will play in the Super Rugby series”.
Southern Kings hail from the Eastern Cape, the South African province with the most black rugby players, and the bid to include them in the Super Rugby competition has become a political hot potato in a country where the sport has historically been dominated by whites.
South Africa’s current Super Rugby sides – Central Cheetahs, Coastal Sharks, Golden Lions, Northern Bulls and Western Stormers – fear Kings’ inclusion will come at their expense.
The championship currently comprises five sides each from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
SARU deputy president Mark Alexander said last month South African officials would lobby their SANZAR partners to expand the contest to 16 teams.
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