John Dobson says it’s “logical” for the Rugby Championship to align with the Six Nations to alleviate the stress on native franchises. DYLAN JACK stories.
The DHL Stormers director of rugby was talking throughout a wide-ranging press convention at Cape City Stadium on Monday, the place he offered an replace on his workforce’s preparations for the upcoming Vodacom URC season.
A groundbreaking participant welfare deal between gamers and employers – which allowed the Currie Cup to go forward as scheduled – meant that senior Stormers gamers have taken an eight-week relaxation interval in the course of the Currie Cup and haven’t been out there to play for DHL Western Province.
The Currie Cup was below risk as employers and participant representatives tussled over how greatest to accommodate the match into the congested season.
Western Province have taken the route of totally backing their youth, with final weekend’s workforce that confronted the Sharks XV that includes a number of U21 gamers and youngsters Kyle Smith and Gino Cupido in midfield.
Stormers chief govt Johan le Roux supported the method, however added in the course of the press convention that the Rugby Championship must align with the Six Nations to alleviate a few of the stress of managing gamers via the season.
“The Currie Cup in it’s personal window is sensible,” Le Roux mentioned. “Will probably be diluted if it’s performed concurrently with different tournaments.
“The largest elephant within the room is the Rugby Championship and the Six Nations not being in the identical window. That simply makes the scheduling of different competitions very troublesome and shortens the Currie Cup window.
“If you happen to align the seasons by taking part in these two on the similar time, there’s sufficient time left within the season to have a Currie Cup away from the opposite competitions, whereas having sufficient time to relaxation the URC squad.”
Dobson agreed and mentioned that whereas the Stormers have tried to be proactive with managing their gamers, the present 12-month season can’t proceed as it’s.
“It’s a concern. Loads of that resting was logical, however we try to be proactive and get a step forward by resting greater than we thought, not risking a state of affairs the place now we have to play within the Six Nations window and Neethling Fouche’s on three-weeks [rest].
“We had been making an attempt to essentially be proactive. Firstly from a real participant welfare view and making an attempt to get forward of the laws.
“However it nonetheless appears slightly unsure. Is it eight consecutive weeks? Is it three-plus-three-plus-two? Are you able to cut up the three out? What does it appear to be subsequent 12 months?
“My solely hope is in our proactivity. It’s unsustainable to have a 12-month programme with that Check window. There are one or two guys now we have referred to as in per week early, as a result of we’re operating out of cattle.
“It’s a problem. We’re forward of it in the mean time. It’s logically not a sustainable state of affairs.”
Photograph: Ziyaad Douglas/Gallo Pictures
