BokSmart & BokDumb

In the same time frame that SA Rugby launched its world-class BokSmart safety campaign came tidings of plenty of sturm und drang on the horizon.

BokSmart, introduced in conjunction with the Chris Burger/Petro Jackson Players’ Fund, has the aim to reduce the number of serious or catastrophic head, neck and spinal injuries in the game.

Driven by sports scientists from the Institute of Sports Medicine in Newlands the project has been pains-taking and thorough as a proactive intervention to cut down the incidence of serious injuries.

The intention is that all referees and coaches will have to be BokSmart certified to be permitted to operate. The programme includes the toll-free national emergency telephone helpline, linked to ER24, called the “BokSmart Spineline” (0800 678 678) to accelerate the emergency treatment and appropriate management of a potentially seriously injured rugby player.

It has professionalism written all over it and I left the launch impressed with something SA Rugby has done well – albeit with the input of the Burger/Jackson Fund which, of course, is headed by Morné du Plessis.

However on the same day I opened an e-mail entitled: “SANZAR calls for expressions of interest for 15th Super Rugby team.”

It naturally drew my attention because it is my contention that if anything the SuperRugby competition should be made smaller rather than a bigger – a view that is not shared by the worthies of SANZAR who are ploughing ahead.

The notice went on to say that “this is the first step in the application process to determine the location of the 15th team. SANZAR anticipates a decision will be made by November.”

But it is the next statement which is likely to cause uproar as violent as the storms that whip across Port Elizabeth – which of course is the home of the Eastern Province Rugby Union that has Cheeky Watson as its president.

Why? Well SANZAR states quite categorically that “geographical location and the time-zone of the new team will be a key consideration for SANZAR as the 15th team will play in the Australian Conference.

Now haven’t we been hearing that the already named Southern Kings are to be the 15th side in an expanded SuperRugby competition?

If the decision has been made that the 15th side will be based in Australia – probably in Melbourne – what’s the point of asking for expressions of interest?

Remember the furore surrounding the Southern Spears when 6 into 5 just wouldn’t go?

Stand by for more. Cheeky Watson has been quite categorical in his belief that SuperRugby will come to his region and SA Rugby, under pressure from on high, have pledged their support of such a move.

So, seeing as the Southern Kings could hardly be the franchise based in Australia, SA Rugby is again going to be facing the dilemma of including the EP/Border/SWD region at the expense of one of the teams currently in the tournament – but which team?

Stand by for more threats of legal action and who said what… because you can be sure that if the Southern Kings are given a spot the team knocked out will scream blue murder.