Bok boss sticks to his guns

Hoskins: Sick of playing second fiddle to Australia and New Zealand

South Africa Rugby Union (SARU) president Oregan Hoskins has warned that his country will not be bullied in the SANZAR alliance.

Hoskins raised eyebrows last week by publicly opposing New Zealand and Australia's plans to play next year's Super 14 competition with the same Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) laws they used in this year's tournament, rather than replicate the global ELVs currently being tested worldwide.

With the British & Irish Lions tour next year, Hoskins is worried about using two sets of laws and the effect that it would have on the world champions' preparation for the three-Test series.

Now Hoskins insists that there is a new South African line in the SANZAR relationship, and that the country will no longer be a silent party to decisions pushed by either Australia or New Zealand.

"We're tired of being the third party in the marriage," Hoskins told Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Sondag.

"We may have treated SANZAR with kid gloves in the past and tried to placate everyone with the decisions, but it is time that we show we are not happy with what is going on."

Hoskins recently took over the role of president after SA Rugby's board chairman Mpumelelo Tshume, who previously represented the country at the meetings, was removed from his position.

"I think in a way we tried to keep unity in SANZAR at times and it cost us," Hoskins continued.

"We won't be doing that anymore. We are world champions and we have the third biggest television market for rugby in the world after England and France. We sit in a favourable time zone for European television services and we have a lot in out favour.

"Our players and officials have been complaining for long enough about the cards they have been dealt and how certain things in our competitions seem to always be biased against them and I believe it is time that this gets the attention it deserves."

Hoskins' comments can be seen as a veiled threat to the SANZAR alliance, especially with the Newscorp television contract coming to an end in 2010, and there has already being talk of possible competitions with the Six Nations countries.

But Hoskins made it clear he was not talking about leaving SANZAR.

"Our aim is still to play against the strongest teams in the strongest competitions, but we wont allow ourselves to be bullied into decisions anymore," he added.