The chief executive of South African rugby has warned the sport will die in the next five years if plans to change broadcasting regulations go ahead.
Jurie Roux offered the bleak view as he spoke against draft amendments to broadcasting regulations in South Africa that would see national sporting events of nationwide importance receive full free-to-air coverage.
And with South African rugby continuing to lose key players to lucrative deals in Europe, Roux warned that such a move could kill rugby in the country.
“Our doors will close in the next five years if these regulations are implemented‚” he said at a hearing on the draft sports broadcasting service amendment regulations.
“Exclusivity is key in sport and the current regulations strike a good balance.
"But at this rate there won't be sport in five years and there won't be the Springboks.”
Roux revealed that the majority of their revenue comes from broadcasting rights - with television deals accounting for 57 percent of their revenue, with 26 percent from sponsorship and 17 percent from Tests‚ events and grants.
“Rugby is a business‚ we don’t receive money from government (0.3% to be fair)‚ we don’t have charitable status and we have zero donors‚" he said.
"We don’t have a rich uncle or a trust fund‚ we don’t pay dividends or make payment profits for shareholders.
"The income we earn is reinvested for the benefit of rugby and South Africans.
“Sponsorships will never cover the value of broadcasting revenue and without income and funding we will have no sport.
"Our plea is to protect the sport which is a national asset because it will not survive.
"We will not have funding to start grassroots projects and in sport around the world‚ exclusivity is the basis on which rights are sold.”
