SA Rugby: Golden Lions bankrupt?

Article here talking about the Golden Lions (Johannesburg) Rugby Union's money woes.

Broadly they're massively in debt, and their main benefactors have pulled out as a result - they've struggled to pay player salaries at times lately

Well that would never have happened if Dr Louis Luyt was still there, in the nineties the GLRU was the wealthiest franchise in SA.

Mismanagement, mismanagement blah, blah, blah

Ah Louis Luyt. A man Kiwis loved to hate, he was so effective.

Biltong, an friend of mine who hails from Joburg commented in passing that these days the Lions have to pay their players above the odds, because the players prefer to not live in Johannesburg ...

Kiwireddevil wrote:Ah Louis Luyt. A man Kiwis loved to hate, he was so effective.

Biltong, an friend of mine who hails from Joburg commented in passing that these days the Lions have to pay their players above the odds, because the players prefer to not live in Johannesburg ...

Not too sure how true that is, if you look at the squad, these guys are thankful for being able to play super Rugby, and there aren't that many teams around.

Besides, outside of JHB city, there are plenty of golf estates, nature estates and eco estates where these guys live.

I would definitely agree that the stadium's location is the biggest issue.

Fair enough. My friend's a pretty dedicated Lions fan, and he was looking for reasons for their poor form in recent times.

Kiwireddevil wrote:Fair enough. My friend's a pretty dedicated Lions fan, and he was looking for reasons for their poor form in recent times.

Well your article says it all, pathetically, unprofessional, poor management. Thier culture is gone, there is no vibe, it is in the richest province in SA, but yet also in the thick of the politics. Add to that how they do not scout for talent. If you don't play for the right clubs they have no chance of being considered.

I bet you there are probably a thousand potential professional rugby players in Gauteng that has never been assessed by GLRU scouts.

Most clubs in SA get almost no money from GLRU, to give you an example.

This comes straight from the horses mouth, this is information from a guy that was involved n managing a club in GLRU for a number of years. this is coincidentally the club I played for in the early nineties.

"In Johannesburg the GLRU pays each club manager a small “salary” varying from below R 2000 up to approximately R 7000 depending on a number of factors such as the league you compete in and the number of fields used.

Registered coaches receive a small allowance dependent on the level of qualification among other factors.

On top of this, each club will receive a “field maintenance” allowance (less than R 15 000 for the SEASON), and an Admin’ allowance (Less than R 4 000 for the Season)."

In other words the club recieves roughly 1800 euros per season.