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Cape Town - A failure by the Durban and Cape Town city councils to communicate with rugby bosses over the use of stadia for future matches has caused "major problems", SA Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins told MPs on Tuesday.
"We now have a situation where in particular Cape Town and Durban are posing a major challenge," Hoskins told the Parliamentary portfolio committee on sport.
"In 2007, before the new stadiums were built, I wrote to the minister of sport and said I foresaw major problems coming and I asked for the intervention of the ministry.
"Unfortunately, we were all taken up by the Soccer World Cup and in the hype we forgot we should have been talking to each other."
The operators of South Africa's new stadia have been desperate to bring rugby unions on board to fill seats and bring in income.
A presentation from the City of Cape Town to the committee on Tuesday estimated that it would cost R46.5m to maintain the city's new stadium each year. Durban too will have to fork out millions in maintenance costs.
Both cities are hoping to move their provincial rugby teams to the stadia and to host international test matches.
"What we are discussing today should have been discussed before we built the stadiums," Hoskins said.
"It is tragic for us as a nation that we have to act in reverse."
Hoskins said a breakdown in the relationship between Durban city manager Mike Sutcliffe and Sharks chief executive Brian Van Zyl was a large driver behind the problems in Durban.
"We heard Sutcliffe say they are getting on in a friendly way. I am not so sure about that," Hoskins said.
"During the World Cup I received a call from Mike. He said he has a big problem with parking because Brian van Zyl was overcharging for parking.
"I said Mike, you have not involved South African Rugby in your deliberations. I said that is the core of your problem.
"I made it very clear to Mike that this discussion cannot be limited to a forum between two people."
Hoskins said there were no discussions between the city and rugby authorities before the stadium was built.
The Sharks, he said, were going to have "a massive problem" moving over to the R3bn Moses Mabhida stadium because of the configuration of its suites.
"There was no discussion, when that stadium was built, with rugby and it could have solved a lot of problems.
"If the suites were configured in a different way that would have solved so many problems.
"In the rugby stadium they have about 400 suites. In the soccer stadium they have about a quarter of that."
He said the issues could not be left to two parties - The Sharks and The City of Durban - to solve.
"We can't allow this issue to be left to those two parties.
"They owe it to us that this matter must be resolved by greater participation.
"As we sit here today, remember my words, this is going to hit a dead end."
Hoskins said the situation in Cape Town was "out of hand".
"There has been a total breakdown around this issue of the new stadium. It is not necessary it should happen that way."
He said Western Province Rugby and Sail StadeFrance, the operators of Cape Town Stadium, were "talking past each other" and "talking in the media" about whether rugby would in the future move from Newlands to the new stadium.
"It goes on and on," he said. "It just gets out of hand."
"Unless we contain it and channel our common energies in one direction, we are going to be the laughing stock of everyone," he said.
Western Province Rugby president Tobie Titus said that when it was announced that a new stadium would be built, the union and other partners made a bid to operate the new stadium after the World Cup.
"Unfortunately, at that time we were not happy with the conditions set by the city council," he said.
Titus said the union took advice from an independent financial adviser about what would be best financial model for it.
"We were advised it is best to stay at Newlands," he said.
Western Province Rugby had not met with the city about using the stadium for rugby since the initial meeting.
"If we are not going to solve this problem, it is going to divide this community."
Hoskins said SA Rugby was looking at a new model to host test matches around the country
"We want to use the new stadiums. We want to take the game to the people, but these two issues are going to stand in our way in a big way," he said.
"The parties must take huge blame for the situation we are in."
"We now have a situation where in particular Cape Town and Durban are posing a major challenge," Hoskins told the Parliamentary portfolio committee on sport.
"In 2007, before the new stadiums were built, I wrote to the minister of sport and said I foresaw major problems coming and I asked for the intervention of the ministry.
"Unfortunately, we were all taken up by the Soccer World Cup and in the hype we forgot we should have been talking to each other."
The operators of South Africa's new stadia have been desperate to bring rugby unions on board to fill seats and bring in income.
A presentation from the City of Cape Town to the committee on Tuesday estimated that it would cost R46.5m to maintain the city's new stadium each year. Durban too will have to fork out millions in maintenance costs.
Both cities are hoping to move their provincial rugby teams to the stadia and to host international test matches.
"What we are discussing today should have been discussed before we built the stadiums," Hoskins said.
"It is tragic for us as a nation that we have to act in reverse."
Hoskins said a breakdown in the relationship between Durban city manager Mike Sutcliffe and Sharks chief executive Brian Van Zyl was a large driver behind the problems in Durban.
"We heard Sutcliffe say they are getting on in a friendly way. I am not so sure about that," Hoskins said.
"During the World Cup I received a call from Mike. He said he has a big problem with parking because Brian van Zyl was overcharging for parking.
"I said Mike, you have not involved South African Rugby in your deliberations. I said that is the core of your problem.
"I made it very clear to Mike that this discussion cannot be limited to a forum between two people."
Hoskins said there were no discussions between the city and rugby authorities before the stadium was built.
The Sharks, he said, were going to have "a massive problem" moving over to the R3bn Moses Mabhida stadium because of the configuration of its suites.
"There was no discussion, when that stadium was built, with rugby and it could have solved a lot of problems.
"If the suites were configured in a different way that would have solved so many problems.
"In the rugby stadium they have about 400 suites. In the soccer stadium they have about a quarter of that."
He said the issues could not be left to two parties - The Sharks and The City of Durban - to solve.
"We can't allow this issue to be left to those two parties.
"They owe it to us that this matter must be resolved by greater participation.
"As we sit here today, remember my words, this is going to hit a dead end."
Hoskins said the situation in Cape Town was "out of hand".
"There has been a total breakdown around this issue of the new stadium. It is not necessary it should happen that way."
He said Western Province Rugby and Sail StadeFrance, the operators of Cape Town Stadium, were "talking past each other" and "talking in the media" about whether rugby would in the future move from Newlands to the new stadium.
"It goes on and on," he said. "It just gets out of hand."
"Unless we contain it and channel our common energies in one direction, we are going to be the laughing stock of everyone," he said.
Western Province Rugby president Tobie Titus said that when it was announced that a new stadium would be built, the union and other partners made a bid to operate the new stadium after the World Cup.
"Unfortunately, at that time we were not happy with the conditions set by the city council," he said.
Titus said the union took advice from an independent financial adviser about what would be best financial model for it.
"We were advised it is best to stay at Newlands," he said.
Western Province Rugby had not met with the city about using the stadium for rugby since the initial meeting.
"If we are not going to solve this problem, it is going to divide this community."
Hoskins said SA Rugby was looking at a new model to host test matches around the country
"We want to use the new stadiums. We want to take the game to the people, but these two issues are going to stand in our way in a big way," he said.
"The parties must take huge blame for the situation we are in."
