EDITORIAL | Return to Buffalo City Stadium critical to Border rugby fortunes

The news about the return of Border Rugby Union and its teams to Buffalo City Stadium could not have come at a better time to ease the pressure on Bulldogs and Border Ladies, who are having a woeful season in their respective competitions. While details are still sketchy as the parties are working out the terms in a memorandum of understanding yet to be signed between the union, Buffalo City metro and stadium landlords Chippa Holdings, there is no denying that the move bodes well for rugby development in the region. Bulldogs and Border Ladies, who are yet to win games in the SA Cup and Women’s Super League competitions respectively, do not enjoy a homeground advantage in their matches due to consistent venue changes.

In Bulldogs’ two home games they struggled to find a venue, changing it three times in one week ahead of their clash against SWD Eagles until they settled for a high school ground. In their clash against Airlink Pumas they found a home at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane where conditions are not conducive for a good rugby match, and no digital scoreboard. when a team cannot even enjoy backing from their supporters in their home matches, chances of a win become slim In both matches they were on thereceiving endof a heavy drubbing, though it would be foolhardy to attribute the losses to that.

But, retrospectively, when a team cannot even enjoy backing from their supporters in their home matches, chances of a win become slim. When stability finally returned, the stadium had been leased to Chippa Holdings, which has been accused of monopolising it by blocking other sporting bodies from accessing it. Any business entity worth its salt needs office space to operate to consolidate relations with partners.