The unintentional incommodity of South Africa's move north

Sharks coach John Plumtree did some intricate and apologetic backtracking, while Bulls bosses are also steadfast in their stance that the move to Europe is a commonsensical decision for the game in South Africa.

However, there is no doubt playing in Europe and having to deal with all-year-round competitions have its challenges.

The travel constraints are a reality for South African teams in these competitions.

For the record!

Leaving the kissing cousins, New Zealand and Australia, to deal with their financial constraints and not be their cash cow was the best outcome after the more than two decades of browbeating the Republic took from their two Trans-Tasman rivals.

The improvement in television and attendance numbers in the United Rugby Championship, Champions, and Challenge Cup competitions tells a story of its own.

As URC Chief Executive Martin Anayi succinctly put it: “They [SA teams] have been tremendously successful in performance and attendance, as well as financially and commercially.

“It’s a game changer. It’s millions.

“More than half our revenue comes from South Africa via television and sponsorship.

“They are also providing more value to EPCR, via sponsorship of the Champions Cup.

“It is a huge part of the rugby economy for Europe.”

It is where South African teams want to be, the competitions they want to play in.

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So, when coaches like John Plumtree, Jake White and John Dobson speak of ‘impediments’ – conundrums, glitches, dilemmas, etc – they are not complaining or looking for excuses.

They are just highlighting some of the reasons their teams don’t always perform up to expectations.

Let us take the Bulls, for example.

The extraordinary contrasting conditions they have faced in the last three weeks are mind-blowing.

Amid Storm Darragh – an extratropical cyclone with winds of up to 145 kilometres per hour – they took on Saracens at Barnet Copthall. If you think the conditions were perhaps not as atrocious as it seemed, consider the fact that over 160 Heathrow flights were cancelled that weekend.

Forget, for a minute, that both teams played in the same weather and the Bulls players were ‘naive’ at best, the team then returned to Pretoria for an encounter with Northampton Saints – with the temperatures in the low and mid-30°C.

The next week they headed to Durban to take on the Sharks in the heat (29°C) and humidity (84 percent) of Kings Park.

In less than two weeks they played in sub-zero (freezing) and sweltering conditions.

If you have never experienced Durban’s depressing, suffocating humidity and heat, here is a simple fact that will explain the impact it has on the human body.

Bulls and Springbok loose forward Elrigh Louw – a well-conditioned athletic specimen – lost five kilograms of weight in the match.

If you consider medical practitioners discouraging the average human to lose more than five kilograms in six months, losing that in 80 minutes can’t be healthy.

‘Player welfare’ is a term that comes to mind.

The Bulls are not alone in this.

The Sharks, Lions and Stormers all have their own stories.

Take the Lions, for example.

They were unbeaten and second in the URC standings when they headed to Ireland for a Round Six URC face-off with Leinster.

However, their trip from Parma to Dublin did not go according to plan.

Storm Ashley made landing difficult and the Lions’ pilot, after an attempt to put the plane down, aborted the landing and diverted to Manchester.

Twenty-seven flights had to perform ‘go-arounds’ at Dublin Airport that Sunday due to the severe conditions presented by Storm Ashley. Another 28 pilots – including the plane carrying the Lions – opted to divert to other airports. Dublin Airport has also confirmed that around 60 flights due to depart or land in Dublin were cancelled due to adverse conditions.

The Lions finally departed Manchester for Dublin on Monday, but haven’t won a game since.

Maybe the results are more their own doing – naivety and brain fades – rather than the many return trips to Europe, but those are challenges that competitions in Europe throw at you.

That is why I say, there should be some extra trifle and cake for the likes of Elrigh Louw and Ox Nche at the Christmas lunch today- given what they have been through this December.

@king365ed
@rugby365com