Johannesburg - Lions Rugby Company CEO Rudolf Straueli is confident that the union is attending to the concerns of its players after previous reports suggested that fractures had developed within the organisation.
As revealed earlier this year, the players and coaching structures seemed to be unhappy with the current state of affairs at the union, specifically upper management. Reports also indicated that the players had lost confidence in the majority of their coaches after a MyPlayers survey in December assigned below par scores for head coach Ivan van Rooyen and Co.
Team management was also heavily criticised, especially during the early year tour of Europe, where players reportedly complained bitterly about the ill-handled logistics in France when they faced Stade Francais. Grievances ranged from dietary concerns to laundry issues and locker-room misconduct.
The entire debacle seemed to be expressed on the field, the Lions slumping to one victory in seven matches. Since the airing of that "dirty laundry", there has been an impressive turnaround in results – the Lions are currently on a six-match winning streak in all competitions.
Nevertheless, Straeuli has admitted to some of those concerns, revealing that the union has been working towards addressing their internal affairs.
On Tuesday, while speaking to IOL Sport at the reveal of the union’s three-year sponsorship for the newly named Castle Lager Pirates Grand Challenge, Straeuli explained some of the challenges the Lions’ administration has faced, and the steps taken to correct it.
Said the former Springbok and World Cup winner: ‘It is still a player's game.
“If the players are not happy, then they are not going to play well for you. We have had a lot of challenges with managers to do their jobs. Some people had to pick up double shifts but that is the Lions – sometimes you have to do what you got to do ...”
“Everybody has been pulling together. Everyone has been helping.
“I’ve gotten a lot of help from the office and then also the players; players like Jaco Kriel have been helping with player relationships, and we just got together and decided that we can do it.”
As stated earlier, the Lions have won six consecutive matches - broken up into three victories in the URC, one in the Challenge Cup and two in the Currie Cup. Straeuli believes this is an indication that the Doornfontein-based outfit is back on the right track.
“The whole group is in a good space,” Straeuli insisted.
“We are here (Tuesday) with the launch of the Castle Lager Pirates Grand Challenge. Club rugby is good, university rugby is good, junior rugby is good at the moment.
“We are happy with the way that (coach) Mzwakhe (Nkosi) is excelling in the Currie Cup ... (Him and Cash are combining well with the players in selections) ...
"There is still a lot of rugby to be played. We are in a good space”
One of the main areas highlighted by Straeuli has been the travel aspect. As reported earlier this week, the Stormers faced logistical issues to get to Exeter in the southwest of England.
The Emirates Lions, meanwhile, travelled to Scotland this week for an EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final tie against Glasgow Warriors. The team landed in the city on Wednesday morning with Straeuli touching on that issue.
“(The squad) successfully landed in Glasgow,” he said. “We couldn’t get flights but luckily Emirates, our sponsor, got them onto flights.
“So, yes, it has been a tough road. The URC and EPCR hasn’t been easy for South African teams.
“We have to use Qatar (in the URC) because it is a sponsorship ... The flights have been difficult to get, hotels are difficult to get at the moment.”
The Lions, meanwhile, also have a Currie Cup commitment on Sunday. They host the second-placed Free State Cheetahs at Emirates Airline Park at 3pm.
@FreemanZAR