The State of Play: SA

The lowdown on the changes to the SA rugby salary cap [Ep 5]

In episode 5 of the podcast, Miles goes through the incoming changes to the salary cap which applies to the South African rugby franchises, including the big bump in the cap amount and the introduction of marquee players. The goal is to keep hold of our country's best players. How does the cap stack up against the money being paid to players in Europe? What is SARU's financial position and what does it mean for whether the changes are sustainable? What are the concerns and how does the situation compare to that in the English Premiership?

Mbappé, player power, strikes and the like [Ep 4]

In episode 4 of the podcast, Miles discusses the ever-shifting dynamics of player power and takes a look at players exercising their collective power in global sport.  He discusses Kylian Mbappé's 'values-based' boycott of his obligations relating to French national team sponsors over an image rights dispute, and the fifteen footballers from the Spanish national women's team making themselves unavailable for selection in an effort to bring about change.  Miles also looks at the way that collective bargaining and industrial action, in the form of strikes and lockouts, have shaped our sporting world and brought us mechanisms such as salary caps. And he touches on the rise of players' unions as business entities, including in the area of group licensing.

CapeTalk discussion on the salary cap in South African rugby [Ep 3]

This is a discussion between myself, Lester Kiewit and Heinz Schenk from News24, which was on air on CapeTalk in February 2022. We spoke about the salary cap system that's in place currently in South African rugby . We went into some of the important things that come up in considering whether the cap is serving the best interests of rugby in South Africa and our professional players. And I gave my thoughts on how the system might be changed to improve it.

Private equity and the business of South African rugby (Part 2) [Ep 2]

In episode 2 of the podcast, Miles takes a deep dive into the potential deal between SA Rugby and private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, and into the business of South African rugby, including the ownership of the franchises and the move to northern hemisphere competition. In this the second part of the episode, Miles looks at the URC as a business and considers the financial incentive for SA Rugby to relocate to northern hemisphere competition. He has a look at the Springboks' potential move to the Six Nations. Miles also delves into the ownership structures and the role of private equity at the South African franchises.

Private equity and the business of South African rugby (Part 1) [Ep 2]

In episode 2 of the podcast, Miles takes a deep dive into the potential deal between SA Rugby and private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, and into the business of South African rugby, including the ownership of the franchises and the move to northern hemisphere competition. In this the first part of the episode, Miles looks at the growing role of private equity in sport. He considers SA Rugby’s business and its financial situation, which pave the way for a partnership with an equity investor. He also takes us through the deal that’s in the works with CVC and we have a look at the firm’s role in the sports industry.