The Future of Rugby - Discussion

First topic message reminder :

Rugby Union is becoming more and more influenced by rugby league and has already visibly changed from the game that we know of ten -twenty years ago.

Eventually the two codes could re-merge...Discus...

League and Union are two completely different sports.

Merging the two would be like merging American Football and "soccer"

I would argue that League and Union, rather than hindering each other's progress, actually helps instead.

tigertattie wrote:League and Union are two completely different sports.

Merging the two would be like merging American Football and "soccer"

I would argue that League and Union, rather than hindering each other's progress, actually helps instead.

firstly how could anyone come up with such a mad comparision-pro rugby players play both formats - many switch codes like clicking a finger. could you honestly imagine david beckham playing american football- are you serious dude? also the sports split - it was political!! do you not get that ?


secondly you can say that you could argue that it helps- however it 100% doesnt and to help your case you are gonna have to try and explain how it helps

"I would argue that League and Union, rather than hindering each other's progress, actually helps instead."

If you watched both RU and RL in the 90s you'd definitely see how much RL helped RU then - they showed us what professional rugby was all about. They were fit, strong, fast and skilful. We were a bunch of chubbas. Fortunately we caught up.

It's interesting in the north how League is perceived as the enemy and union are the good guys. There used to be a time when league took union players away from the game. Now it seems the other way round.

As NZ are the World Champs in both codes - I couldn't resist sharing that tidbit - there isn't such a stigma associated with league. I enjoyed watching the Aussie NFL and State of Origin Matches and that didn´t take away anything of my love for the ABs.

I don't see the need to compare the two. Both coexist now. To me the question is as relevant as will rugby and football merge. Players diving and showing off their amateur theatrics and abusing the refs with no punishment.

"It's interesting in the north how League is perceived as the enemy and union are the good guys"

really - i allways found that most northereners support league

"To me the question is as relevant as will rugby and football merge"

crazy comment

I meant the NH as opposed to Down Under.

So too for me is will union and league merge.

it wont merge- but it could theoritically and i feel it would be better for the game of rugby long term- coming together as one makes it stronger competiting against sports like football- and the quality , money, fanbase would go up 10 fold in the future, thats the point

Football would still dwarf rugby loonion if a merge occurred anyway. League is played in even fewer countries than union and has practically no real representation outside England, Wales, France, Australia and NZ and even in many of those countries league is way down the list in terms of players and fans. Politically it could never happen as Australia would never give away its league cash cow and allow union to take their beloved game away from them. Similarly the north of England in particular would never accept it.

In terms of world sports these two sports are way down the list. But what´s wrong with that? Do we really want to see the club game take over the international game that is the case with league and certainly with football most of the time? Do we really want games to be played during the week at awkward hours? Do we really want our players to be played such silly money? Do you really want to see a hybrid game develop out of league and union? I sure as hell don't want to. It´s a ludicrous proposal and it will never happen.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:Football would still dwarf rugby loonion if a merge occurred anyway. League is played in even fewer countries than union and has practically no real representation outside England, Wales, France, Australia and NZ and even in many of those countries league is way down the list in terms of players and fans. Politically it could never happen as Australia would never give away its league cash cow and allow union to take their beloved game away from them. Similarly the north of England in particular would never accept it.

In terms of world sports these two sports are way down the list. But what´s wrong with that? Do we really want to see the club game take over the international game that is the case with league and certainly with football most of the time? Do we really want games to be played during the week at awkward hours? Do we really want our players to be played such silly money? Do you really want to see a hybrid game develop out of league and union? I sure as hell don't want to. It´s a ludicrous proposal and it will never happen.

i want rugby to go global, you may not as a kiwi , i do - i love it when the world plays the same sports- best thing about football. Wc's and oylimpics are brilliant and a world celebration. what is ludicrous is hurting the game by not evolving or moving towards a truely global single format!- be that union as it is- or a merged game- however as it stands it is not a global game- and yes that is what i want, i will never change that thought process- and i suppose you seem stuck in your ways to not change yours either!

There's a big difference between making rugby global and making rugby take on football. Don´t make assumptions about me not wanting the game to go global. I have often said that union can learn a lot from sevens and the World Cup should have a plate and bowl comp to exist alongside the main event to encourage the developing nations.

But what you seem to be advocating is taking the game of union that I so passionately love and blending it into some sham of a sport to make the game more global? How is that going to work? Do you honestly think that someone who doesn´t know the game will be attracted to it because it has merged with another game. If the sport is so great, why should it feel the need to sell its soul and do whatever it takes to get noticed? Why stop at league. Let's take some other sports like hockey and Aussie rules and polo and make a truly global sport.

i dont think you understand about what it takes kia, your views are outdated, your comparsions are ludicrous. I am not making any assumptions(you must be confusing me with another poster), yet you are above!!therefore i suggest you just drop it.

if you cant see that league and union coexisting are not helping each other then there is nothing more to discuss- there pull each other back. its that simple

I don't think league and union will successfully merge anyway. I can see RL in the north of England continuing its decline (there's plenty of cash-strapped clubs up there) to a point where it is almost amateur, but the disdain for the "southern toff's game" is too ingrained in the fans to turn around.

Meanwhile RL in Australia is currently in a much better state, and doesn't need RU right now - however it has it's eyes on the threat from AFL's expansion out of Melbourne. If AFL was threatening to swamp both rugby codes there might be a joinup, but it would involve RL joining up with RU to piggy-back on the international competition aspect that AFL lacks (and which is limited in RL). There would once again have to be a lot of dead bodies gone over first - RU in Sydney (RL's heartland) is again the preserve of wealthy private schoolboys.

It's to do with perception, most leaguies see all Union fans as toffs and most Union fans see League fans as Pigeon fancying, whippet botherers. Change that perception and you've fixed a centuries old North/South divide, heralding a new beginning for this fair land of England.

The perception of how League or Union see each other is not germane simple facts are.BOTH games are excellent in there own ways BUT League is big only in
Australia,England and to some extent NZ.France and Wales play lip service to it,money is now more in Union,than League .So rather than Union going League the reverse is true.
Rugby Union is getting popular more and has a following in Europe dating back at least 50 years.BUT it is no way going to be as popular as Soccer.7`s is an excellent game for sharpening up players skills BUT is no substitute for the 15 man game.
I can never see a time when the two Codes will merge beyond the sharing of stadiums.Where do you start,unopposed scrums?ban the lineout,maybe scrap the breakdown and adopt the 4 tackle rule?Thanks but no thanks that`s a step to far.

Rugby League in oz will always be too popular with the masses to disappear, plus while not worthy of international news coverage, the national competition has undergone a lot of administrative, commerical, and cultural change in the past 2-3 years which should ensure its future.

It's also grown inside its own bubble, never being overly affected by the direction the game takes elsewhere. It generates the bulk of the money and talent it needs within the country, plus where the administrators talk about growing its international presence, fans don't seem to care. State of Origin is the biggest event in the calendar and where we talk about selection for our international sides, league fans debate who will make the Blues and Maroons, rather than who will make the Kangaroos.

I personally think Union in Australia is potentially facing a bleak future based primarily on the rumoured size of the next media deal the NRL will sign. They draw talent from the same pool, and if our ability to compete financially decreases further, we will deteriorate quickly. If the NRL get the money they are mentioning (roughly 600m GBP equivalent over 5 years), rugby will be up against it. In terms of merging, we may be the one country where union would have to go hat in hand to League, and I can't think of many reasons for League to listen.

One possibility is if the AFL showed an interest in partnering with Union clubs in some of the jurisdictions. Perth and Melbourne for instance are AFL heartlands, and while the AFL and NRL hate each other, the AFL doesn't display an animosity towards Rugby. So while I can't see League ever helping, I wonder if the AFL would. The Rebels are tenants of the Carlton AFL club's training facility. As games, Union and aussie rules are completly different, but share complexity, some common skill sets, and all body shapes as traits (bar short fat blokes who have no chance of an AFL contract). It's a pretty long bow I'm drawing.

It would be sad if Rugby Union disappears from the radar in australia, they have been very successful in the pro era, I just think RU in Australia needs to relook at their system and structures.

Even if it has to take a backward step that will enable to consoslidate what they have before moving forward once again.

It should start with reduced Franchises. The reality is without Super Rugby they do not have a sustainable financial setup.

I get the feeling O'Neill and his chronies have come to the realisation that it isn't worth pursueing a domestic league setup.

Surely a benefactor like Murdoch should be grabbed by the short and curlys and be reminded what he has gained out of super Rugby and it might be time for him to invest in the future of Australian rugby union.


that is what I would do, get him to invest into a Super club league and make him fully aware of the dangers Australian rugby union is facing.

If you can get him to open his eyes and at least do something for australian sport without wanting something in return in the immediate future australia should be able to build a professional team in each of their major population centres.

Even if it is done with a salary cap in place and a budget of a few million dollars per club.

If you look at areas with populations of more than 400 000

Sydney
Melbourne
Brisbane
Perth
Adelaide
Gold coast
Newcastle
Canberra

Yeah, we are in need of a sugar daddy Biltong, but I don't think Uncle Rupert will save the day. He has a big stake in each of the four codes now so wont want to favour any one of the children.

JON actually set up our national football competition in 2006 with the backing of a rich guy named Frank Lowy. He would have learnt alot doing that, so the way I see it, his refusal to even discuss it now means either (1) the essential rich bloke doesn't exist, (2) he hasnt got the energy and just wants to retire next year without the hassle, (3) he thinks 5 Super Rugby teams is the answer, or (4) we're stuffed. I'm hoping its box number 2.

Kiwireddevil wrote:I don't think league and union will successfully merge anyway. I can see RL in the north of England continuing its decline (there's plenty of cash-strapped clubs up there) to a point where it is almost amateur, but the disdain for the "southern toff's game" is too ingrained in the fans to turn around.

Meanwhile RL in Australia is currently in a much better state, and doesn't need RU right now - however it has it's eyes on the threat from AFL's expansion out of Melbourne. If AFL was threatening to swamp both rugby codes there might be a joinup, but it would involve RL joining up with RU to piggy-back on the international competition aspect that AFL lacks (and which is limited in RL). There would once again have to be a lot of dead bodies gone over first - RU in Sydney (RL's heartland) is again the preserve of wealthy private schoolboys.

I'd say club union in the north of England is in a worst state of decline!

Newcastle will probably finish bottom of the AP (but may be saved from Relegation by the fact that only 3 clubs in the 2nd Tier are eligible to be promoted and only Bristol are left of those 3)
Sale wont qualify for the HC despite being the "big" northern team.
Leeds are marooned in the 2nd Tier with crowds of not much over 2K

The combined average crowds of the 5 northern teams in the top 2 tiers of English RU are under 18K.
RU is a participation sport in the North of England. As a spectator sport it's virtually irrelevant!

mystiroakey wrote:

tigertattie wrote:League and Union are two completely different sports.

Merging the two would be like merging American Football and "soccer"

I would argue that League and Union, rather than hindering each other's progress, actually helps instead.

firstly how could anyone come up with such a mad comparision-pro rugby players play both formats - many switch codes like clicking a finger. could you honestly imagine david beckham playing american football- are you serious dude? also the sports split - it was political!! do you not get that ?


secondly you can say that you could argue that it helps- however it 100% doesnt and to help your case you are gonna have to try and explain how it helps

My Mad comparison is to show how mad it would be to combine the two codes.

And secondly, my explanation as to why the codes help each other has already been answered by your good self! "many switch codes like clicking a finger" shows that learning and taking union and league skills to each code is a good thing!

it doesnt help dude. simples!


itsmore like having two darts tours not like combining netball with swimming

On a facetious note, David Beckham could play American Football- he kicked a record-breaking field goal! And footballers like Danny Care and Aussie and Gaelic rules players also make the transition across to Union so the argument that League and Union players can switch across is not as strong as it looks

david bekham couldnt play american football, not in a million years. very few footballers could and if they did they would have had to play american football from a young age and do the correct muscle building tecniques.

on the other hand it would be much easier for a rugby player to switch to american football

the argument is as strong as it looks- players switch codes all the time!

why is this so hard for you lot to understand..

Yeah but they also switch from other rugby like football codes into rugby but nobody is arguing that Aussie rules or Gaelic Football should amalgamate with Union and/or League.

I'm just deliberately being difficult, but it is a valid point. You can easily switch between the sports but that doesn't stop them being separate sports or mean they could or should join up. Netball and basketball are similar, so are League and Union.

yes however the point is that league and union are from a split in history- it was more about an argument between how the game was run and then them splitting up to create two new sports..

having so many varioations of what is essentially the same game doesnt allow the game of rugby as a whole to excel in so many ways.

it makes it harder to promote it world wide, money is split, fans are split, communities are split.

it doesnt help world sport or rugby as a whole.

these sports will never get to footballs level unless there start coming together!

football like rugby has variations. Should all these merge to form one from of football?

I'm talking about 5 a side, 7 a side, beach football, street football......

if you think 2 codes of rugby hinders the game, then surely all these versions of football are hindering football???

While my arguement is the opposite, having variations HELPS the overall general game.

Look at 7's rugby. Now an olympic sport. Going to open up rugby to millions more people! Should we merge 7's into 15's incase it hinders the overall development of rugby?

I think not!

More verios = larger audiances!

npthing wrong with shorterned versions of the game, they are played in a different way-TThe problems exist when you have two high profile professional leagues that fight over fans and players , not development games, senior games or amatuer versions ..

if rugby 7's becomes pro and professionals start playing as there main 'career' week in week out then yes it will hinder the sport.

this logic is very simple to me- not sure i can understand where you lot are coming from..

I think my main problem is that I don't see the point or need for rugby to try and compete with football (I don't think it can), and whilst lots of fans enjoy both sports, some do not. Which set of rules would be used anyway? Sone of League's key characteristics are anathema to Union and vice versa

the thing is the two games are different these days- so the longer we leave it the harder it will be to consolidate.. so i cant see it ever happening- what may happen in the future is that one game swallows the other up- that will happen if significantly more money and interest goes to one version of the game!

however alot of the problems we are facing with union is the refs interpretation- this problem is somewhat fixed in league!!

but union is the real game in my eyes and most peoples eyes!

Well that depends on who you ask mystiroakey. In Australia probably more people would prefer league to union. In the north of England league wins out too.

You talk about merging the game into one to pool the fans but how does that work. Does union incorporate league and league ceases to exist. Do you blend the two styles together like blending Gaelic football and Aussie rules and make a hybrid game of the two?

What happens to the existing competitions around the world in both codes and who would willingly see the demise of the sport they love? You talk about one swallowing up the othet due to substantial money. Well league was professional once upon a time and union was amateur and there was considerable more money in league. We didn't see the demise of union but we did see a large player exodus. Then when rugby turned pro we saw more league players come to union but it has hardly been a flood of players and the NRL is still holding its own in Australia.

I just don't see league willingly merge with union into some hybrid version nor do I see union fully take over league and make it cease to exist. Most people globally (outside the narrow range of league playing nations) have never heard of rugby league. That doesn't make it a non event. If league ceases to exist for example. you aren´t going to see those fans support union. So like you say, I don't see it happening. So the future of rugby has to be thought of in its own terms. Sadly the IRB is not renowned for their forward thinking.

the RWC is the third biggest event in sport, where does rugby league fit?

There is no threat to rugby Union

I´m not so sure about the 3rd biggest event. The Olympics and Football World Cup have to be the top two in no particular order. Superbowl I´d have thought has a bigger global audience than the rugby world cup although that is on just the one day.

But then again we all know the rugby world cup is the best prize in sport. At least last year. The ones in between 87 and 2011 were devalued as NZ were rebuilding... their pride.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:In Australia probably more people would prefer league to union. In the north of England league wins out too.

True but for the rest of the World it is the other way round. League is a minority sport by any definition.

sorry, I lied, the commonwealth games is apparently bigger.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:Well that depends on who you ask mystiroakey. In Australia probably more people would prefer league to union. In the north of England league wins out too.

You talk about merging the game into one to pool the fans but how does that work. Does union incorporate league and league ceases to exist. Do you blend the two styles together like blending Gaelic football and Aussie rules and make a hybrid game of the two?

What happens to the existing competitions around the world in both codes and who would willingly see the demise of the sport they love? You talk about one swallowing up the othet due to substantial money. Well league was professional once upon a time and union was amateur and there was considerable more money in league. We didn't see the demise of union but we did see a large player exodus. Then when rugby turned pro we saw more league players come to union but it has hardly been a flood of players and the NRL is still holding its own in Australia.

I just don't see league willingly merge with union into some hybrid version nor do I see union fully take over league and make it cease to exist. Most people globally (outside the narrow range of league playing nations) have never heard of rugby league. That doesn't make it a non event. If league ceases to exist for example. you aren´t going to see those fans support union. So like you say, I don't see it happening. So the future of rugby has to be thought of in its own terms. Sadly the IRB is not renowned for their forward thinking.

kia if union had remained amatuer- it would be dead to league!

and yes i do believe that the fans would switch to union eventually- they would have to, and in the long run(which is the point) they would, time is a healer

In my opinion they should merge, but only if they take our rules, our league structure, come under our authorities and take our history. And I'm sure there will be league fans who think the exact opposite.

You can't just merge the games. Let's say you merged the Super League into the Aviva Premiership and merged domestic Australian and New Zealand club competitions in both league and union (and it would take about 10 Kerry Packer's to have any chance of doing this!), whichever set of rules you took the amateur game in the other code would survive.

The question is, should the existing top level rugby clubs merge their existing competitions to form one Super Competition? Although I like the idea of some of the best players from League coming over to Union, I think there would have to be too many concessions in terms of rules of the game to make it feasible. I don't want to see a mish-mash mixed game, I don't want to see flankers axed, I don't want to see the scrum, the ruck or the line-out taken away.

So no, in all honesty I don't think they should merge. Just keep tempting their best players away and wait for their league to crumble

My point was you´ll never get league to disappear without a fight. If there is enough money to sustain league in Australia and union still doesn´t have a home grown competition, then league will be allowed to continue. If in the future the money dries up in the Australian domestic competition, this would kick on to NZ and PNG and league could disappear.

And by definition rugby union is a minority sport too. Rugby sevens is more a global sport but is equally a minority sport.

I certainly agree with you there on that point mystiroakey. The late Jock Hobbs did a power of good in turning AB players loyal to the NZRFU and it is no exaggeration to say that he helped to save the game in NZ. But now that both are professional and television rights can fuel both sports it´s very unlikely the well will run dry for either sport.

its all about being the master of a one rather than a jack of all trades

I think a much better approach is to think about developing union more on a global basis. Finding a way to coordinate the international and club commitments and finding a way to incorporate all regions and both hemispheres into a meaningful integrated competition that culminates in the World Cup every four years.

That to me is more of a priority than thinking league will eventually crumble and union´s profile and appeal will rise as a result. It doesn´t seem a very proactive approach to me.

Yep i am certainly with you on that score. I want to see the sport becoming proactive. However i do believe that league will be affected if union becomes a massive global sport(therefore why not just join in the party).

do we want england and auz being to good

well as an englisman offcourse

Well that's my point. The IRB need to worry about their own ship and need to do more than just keeping union afloat and hoping the league boat gets sunk. I don't think we need to worry about league if rugby becomes a truly global sport. What matters is making the game more coherent in its structure rather than allowing clubs to have more of a say in certain parts of the world and for them to jeopardise the international season. Separate the club and international season completely in both hemispheres and integrate the exisiting international tournaments into a much more cohesive whole. That needs to be the number one priority of the IRB before club and international seasons are blended even more.

Uion is already big at is more likeley that League will srink to the few countries then expand where as Union is in alot more and has structures in place in all areas to get up to atleast a teir 3/2 side

mystiroakey wrote:well i hope that union can take league out of the equation then

Just wondering – why would you want league taken out of the equation? People who are passionate about both sports do exist you know! I’d never want a merger, but I could never dream of RL not existing, it’s as beautiful a sport as Union.

I hope I misinterpret how you’ve put it but saying it should be taken out of the equation is pretty ignorant don’t you think?

To name just a few with a league background who have made a huge contribution to rugby union:
Brad thorn, Tana Umanga,Piri Weepu,Jerome Kaino,Jonah Lomu.
And its not just to New zealand rugby;Shawn Edwards,Les Kiss.
The list is endless.

chewed_mintie wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:well i hope that union can take league out of the equation then

Just wondering – why would you want league taken out of the equation? People who are passionate about both sports do exist you know! I’d never want a merger, but I could never dream of RL not existing, it’s as beautiful a sport as Union.

I hope I misinterpret how you’ve put it but saying it should be taken out of the equation is pretty ignorant don’t you think?

ermm not sure dude- My views on this are kinda radical i admit- id rather rugby joined up for the good of rugby as a whole ,rather than having this north south divide which split the players and fans up, get everyone playing one code and increasing the quality overall, and the power of a single sport rather than two different codes competing for the same fans and players

biltongbek wrote:Rugby league has never taken off in South Africa, the endless repetitive nature of the same thing over and over has never really interested us compared to the complexities of Rugby Union.

There is a negative result due to that though, and it is seen in the comparative limited skills we show in the backline. We tend to be very straight forward in our attack and still rely on physical dominance to break defensive lines mostly and the odd overlap.

Whether it will ever change is up to the powers that be to realise we need guile, the ability to "con" defensive lines with angles etc.

In recent past we have seen the Franchises starting to run "of the shoulder" of the ball carrier and attacking the "grain" of the drifting defence.

There is no doubt that we can do it, but it hasn't been a big focus for us.

There is in my opinion no way that rugby League will ever form part of union, we used to play rugby league in our training sessions to sharpen handling skills and one on one tackling, but by the same token we used 7's to the same extent.

I know there are many that enjoy Rugby League, but for me it is merely a skill set training exercise.

I suspect rugby not taking off in South Africa is more to do with money and class and relative immigration rates, the success of the springboks, etc than the nature of the game. League only took off in northern England because of a class clash. Australia is similar story, as is the history of the game in France and NZ. The power of game in NZ and France, it's links to local government and ultimately the success of the national teams have been the mitigating factors. In NZ the game has grown on the back of a professional league in Australia, the success of ex pat kiwis, a viable career path for very young athletes, TV exposure and corresponding improvement in the national team. None of these things apply in South Africa.

Yes, blackcanelion.

None of that applies in South Africa's case who've solely concentrated on the one form of the game and more recently football (soccer)

"Running off the shoulder" and "attacking the grain of the drifting defence" are not new to the rugby players from Australia and NZ, unlike in the Republic. Think of the Ella bros, Campo, players like Cullen, Frano Botica, etc... the list goes on and on. It's such an important skill to have in RU and of course England is the best NH example of taking the game to these higher levels (along with NZ & Oz) by incorporating RL stock standard plays. The game is so much better for these developments along with the intrinsically unique aspects of RU mentioned above.

Rugby League will never die in Australia and NZ. It's steadily evolved from it's humble beginnings back in 1908. All attempts to play hybrid games are a complete farce. The Aussie Rules - Gaelic Football series is a perfect example of that and it's the same with the 2 rugby codes hybrid games. We had one here last year... it was a complete flop!

Even with the competition from the AFL (new GWS club in Sydney) and a new cross-town rival for Sydney United in the A-League pipeline... RL will always rule here. In fact, it seems to be getting stronger. I believe they can all co-exist and it's proven that fans of any or all codes will watch any other sport so long as it's got good entertainment value - which they all do.

I love watching both RU and RL... even AFL and football too. So I'm the complete opposite of some of the diehard NH rugby posters on here who have an almost exclusively hard line approach: "it's either one or the other...", "one code must die!" or "the other game is crap because (insert ill-informed statement here)" To me, that's a little restrictive, ignorant and biased.

Take a step back folks and don't perceive League as a threat to Rugby Union. It's not.

Both games are diverging if anything yet they share many similar skill sets whilst others are more unique. Keep them apart I say and enjoy the spectacles!

Fight the merge... if it exists...?. The future of both Union and League looks positive and there is room enough for both to grow.

I had to go read up on rugby league in Sa, as I don't know one person playing it, don't know of any clubs and has never seen anything in a newspaper or television about it.

apparently it has been tried 3 times to really grow the sport, but with very little success. It sounds like there are a number of 'south Africans playing in australia, most notably Jarrod Saffy who plays for the St. George Illawarra Dragons, Allan Heldsinger who plays for the Redcliffe Dolphins, Daine Laurie who plays with the Wests Tigers.

I won't be able to tell you how they even ended up in australia, or how they were scouted.

It looks like currently in SA there are 5 provincial teams, and in total 20 clubs.

Provincial team Central Manes and Northern Bulls:
Clubs: NG Bulls, Armagera Bulls, Silverbacks, Centurian Lions, Wanderers Scorpians, Randburg Rams

Provincial team Eastern Eagles:
Clubs: ERP Falcons, Kempton Wolves, Springs Vultures, Brakpan Bears, Germiston Tigers, Boksburg Hooters

Provincial team Mpumalanga Panthers:
Clubs: Ermelo Cheetahs, Witbank Knights, Middelburg Tigers, Loskop Leopards

Provincial team Vaal Buffaloes:
Clubs: Vaal Mambas, VUT, Heidelberg Buffalo Spears, NWU

When looking at that, nowhere outside of the wider Gauteng is there any structured Rgby league.