Jimmy to SARU: 'Please sir may we have some more?'

INTERVIEW: Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse has pleaded with the South African Rugby Union to make a more concerted effort to invest in smaller unions.

The candid coach was sharing his views after the defending-champion Pumas booked their place in the Currie Cup semifinals with a Round 14 (27-17) win in Kimberley at the weekend.

It was a replay of the 2022 Final, when the Pumas also edged Griquas in Kimberley top claim their maiden Currie Cup title.

However, much of the post-match media briefings – by Stonehouse and Griquas counterpart Pieter Bergh – were consumed by the lack of opportunities for the smaller unions – who are just feeder teams for the four main franchises.

There are reports of a ‘second tier’ competition for South African teams not playing in the United Rugby Championship, although SARU has been, as usual, taciturn and uncommunicative on the subject.

Stonehouse spoke about the enormous strain the voluminous player drain puts on the smaller union – pointing to the fact that both Griquas and the Pumas had less than 10 players each remaining from last year’s Currie Cup Final for this weekend’s Round 14 face-off.

He said both unions are doing ‘enormous’ work with no-name brand players coming out of the Varsity Cup and giving them opportunities.

However, they have no real chance of building continuity.

“Despite the annual mass exodus, the quality of the performances we [Pumas and Griquas] have produced is good for the game in South Africa,” Stonehouse said.

The Pumas coach said the South African Rugby Union may be overlooking the value of more investment into the minnows.

“Everything goes to the teams [franchises] they play in the European competitions,” he said of the financial subsidizing of the Stormers (Western Province), Bulls, Sharks and Lions – for their participation in the United Rugby Championship, European Cup and Challenge Cup competitions.

“If they [SARU] can give Griquas and the Pumas something,” Stonehouse said, adding: “There must be a competition out there somewhere that we can play in.”

The outspoken Pumas coach said currently they don’t have the financial clout to build the depth and strength to play in the URC.

“Playing in an international competition means we would be able to deliver more players to the bigger franchises because that is what it is about.

“We will always remain a feeder union,” he added, saying the focus is only on the #BIG four franchises.

“Even the sponsor, if you don’t play in an international competition, they are not keen to be a benefactor.

“If we keep on playing only in the Currie Cup, we won’t get the financial backing we require to grow.

“If we can get something somewhere, we can build a better and bigger brand for South Africa.

“It will allow fringe players to come to unions like us,” Stonehouse said, reiterating that under the current financial dispensation teams like the Pumas and Griquas will not cope in a URC-type competition.

He said any international competition will be a boost – even if it is a second-tier European competition or, like the Cheetahs, in the Challenge Cup.

(Continue below the Eter Bergh interview …)

“Why can they play there and we can’t?

“The Griquas and Pumas match the Cheetahs in all aspects of the game.”

He said SARU will make a mistake if they follow the Irish model and continue to invest in only the four big franchises.

Stonehouse suggested that unless SARU looks better after their ‘feeder’ unions, they will kill off teams like Griquas and the Pumas.

Griquas coach Pieter Bergh echoed similar sentiments.

“It is vital that unions like ourselves [Griquas] and the Pumas get more competitions to play in,” Bergh said.

“If it weren’t for us, where would players like Johan Mulder, Hanru Sirgel, Devon Williams and Tinus de Beer have been playing?

“We simply can’t afford to only play in the Currie Cup again next year.”

He said there is a need for full-blooded competition – not like the Bloemfontein-based challenge series with its once-off matches.

“We need to get some additional games.”

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