The breakaway Mzansi Rugby League is forging ahead despite the departure of co-founder Renaldo Bothma and a legal battle with the South African Rugby Union.
The MRL is a new, privately owned professional rugby union league launching in 2027. It is positioning itself at the bottom of South Africa’s professional rugby structure by offering employment opportunities to jobless players, coaches, referees and medics.
The MRL says it will pay players between R15 000 and R30 000 a month. There will be 16 teams and squads of 30 players. The colourfully named teams include the Mossel Bay Whales, Vaal Meerkats, Durban Hyenas, Kimberley Foxes and Polokwane Wild Dogs.
But SA Rugby is not interested. In September, CEO Rian Oberholzer said: “Our legal department has already written a letter to them to say that the league does not carry our approval and it is not endorsed by SA Rugby.
“SA Rugby is bound to our members, which are the 15 unions. The unions each have their own club structure. It is not a good thing to then support a league that is in direct competition with these clubs.
“Players who participate in the Mzansi Rugby League will therefore not be eligible to play for teams under the SA Rugby banner. This includes club, provincial and national teams.”
Bothma, who played for the Pumas, Sharks, Lions, Bulls and English Premiership club Harlequins, did not flinch at Oberholzer’s refusal to entertain the MRL.
“Yes, letters have been sent, but we are continuing – there is nothing that will stop us. We are not going to let anyone bully us,” he said.
“We aimed to work with SA Rugby and help fill a gap. Some teams don’t even have U19 or U21 sides, and some players only get five games a year. We want to create opportunities for them to play more, and then the unions can use our players later.”
Bothma said the league has enough funding from foreign investors to run for its first three years.
Bothma has subsequently resigned from the MRL, but co-founder Calvin Smith said on Wednesday that they will see SA Rugby in court.
The MRL are also fighting the governing body on an alleged statement by SARU and the players’ union MyPlayers that the MRL was not safe.
“The MRL’s defamation case against SARU and MyPlayers is proceeding,” Smith told Rugby365.com. “We’ve acted in good faith to resolve the matter privately, but as things stand, no resolution has been reached.”
The MRL launched formal legal action against SARU and MyPlayers in October, claiming that both organisations have made false statements aimed at discrediting the new competition.
According to the MRL, both parties have sought to “delegitimise” the league, warning players against joining and suggesting that the competition is unsafe or unauthorised.
The MRL describes these claims as “false” and demands a public apology from MyPlayers.
The MRL will be unveiling its new player-welfare and safety framework this week.
“It’s a first for South African sport, a comprehensive programme built with experts who’ve worked alongside World Rugby to ensure every coach, referee, medic and player in the MRL is certified, educated and protected,” Smith said.
“This will be followed by the announcement of another major initiative: the MRL Development Partner Programme, which rewards schools, universities and amateur clubs that produce professional talent within the MRL ecosystem.
“Both initiatives reflect what the MRL stands for: opportunity, accountability and player welfare at the highest standard.”
