'Momentous' day for SA rugby

Following on the shock of Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize so early in his career, the South African Rugby Union made an early bid for consideration for next year's award when they announced on Thursday that the commercial and amateur arms of South African rugby had become one.

In what Saru president Oregan Hoskins described as a "momentous" landmark in the running of South African rugby, a special sitting of the Presidents Council at a hotel near OR Tambo yesterday, confirmed that the board of SA Rugby (Pty) Ltd, the professional arm, as well as the President's Council and the Saru Management Committee will be replaced by an Executive Council (Exco).

Never mind peace in our time, Weight Watchers might want to give Saru a call and ask them how they managed to slim down so quickly and effectively. Excess weight has been shed and there were smiles at the Holiday Inn on Thursday afternoon.

The decision to merge the two bodies was in part forced upon Saru by a change to the Income Tax law, but in what might be the first recorded case of turkeys voting for Christmas, the presidents of the 14 unions essentially offered up some of their powers to the Exco. Now the unions will have just four representatives on the Exco.

"In effect, SA Rugby will be collapsed, but the character of that company will be maintained and its articles of association incorporated into the constitution," said Oregan Hoskins.