Rugby chiefs positive on NetOne rescue

Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
NATIONAL Rugby League president Noddy Kanyangarara says there is light at the end of the tunnel following his board’s meeting with potential league sponsors NetOne yesterday.
The mobile telecommunications company is expected to bail out the NRL from their financial quagmire that has forced the indefinite suspension of the country’s premier rugby competition.

This is the first season, in four years, that the NRL have gone without a title sponsor following the expiration of the league’s three-year contract with Delta Beverages through their Lion Lager brand.

Lion Lager footed the bill for ambulance services, referees, transport and branded playing and training kit.
But after the sponsors decided against extending their relationship at the end of last year, the NRL have been facing a difficult time.

The NRL leadership did not give the clubs their prize money at the end of the season last year to enable the league to have funds to bankroll the championship programme this year.

But the funds were only good enough to last until halfway into the season.
“We had to cancel last weekend’s games because clubs failed to raise their money for transport to fulfil their scheduled games,” said Kanyangarara.

“As the league administrators, we used to pay for such costs but our coffers have since run dry because the funds we had could only take us halfway through the season.” Kanyangarara yesterday told The Herald that they had a positive meeting with NetOne yesterday.

“We had a positive meeting with NetOne officials and it is looking good but we do not have anything concrete yet,” said Kanyangarara.
“We are hopeful that NetOne will come on board.

“At the moment we can’t really say they are coming in as full sponsors but they are coming to assist us so that the league sails through but we will have a clearer picture of where they stand as time goes on.”

Prior to 2009, the clubs had to fund their activities and there were problems as some of the games would be cancelled after teams failed to raise the travel and accommodation costs.

The disruption could also disrupt the Sables who are expected to take part in the Namibian triangular tournament in November before the Cheetahs travel to Port Elizabeth in South Africa the following month.