SA Rugby has responded to Bulls manager Jake White's complaints regarding his travel situation to England ahead of this weekend's Champions Cup quarter-final against Northampton Saints.
The Bulls advanced to Lyon in the Round of 16 with a stunning 59-19 victory over the French side, setting the stage for a matchup with the Saints. However, White was left dissatisfied after a clash with SA Rugby's lack of logistics over the trip plans.
The coach was referring to last month's United Rugby Championship trip to Leinster, where the team were spread out on eight different planes and took more than 24 hours to reach Dublin.
White complained further about the situation on Tuesday after being given a schedule that predictably split the team.
Detailed response
Now, SA Rugby has released a statement to the media detailing the process behind securing travel arrangements and the organizational challenges involved.
“The media has been informed that SA Rugby has provided 38 flights (33 in business class and 5 in economy class) to the Vodacom Bulls Investec Champions Cup quarter-final team,” the statement read. has been written.
SA Rugby also confirmed that while the squad and White took an overnight business class flight to London, the rest of the touring squad took longer to travel.
“The squad traveled overnight in business class on two airlines, British Airways (24 players and management) and Lufthansa (4 players and management), arriving in London just before 8am local time on Wednesday. It is expected to arrive at ,” they wrote.
“The coach and CEO also flew direct to London overnight in business class on Virgin Airlines. The remaining eight members of the touring team (four management and four players) traveled via Zurich, Doha and Dubai.”
Quiz: Can you name all 44 two-time Rugby World Cup winners?
Advance booking is not an option
The governing body explained why pre-booking seats is not a viable option, as well as detailing how flight demand will impact the process.
Champions Cup legal debate: Bulls try 'shouldn't have stood' as law enforcement required
“The media would like to remind all concerned that there was a high demand for business class seats within South Africa and abroad, due to a reduction in the number of flights to South Africa and delays in confirming the required seats (Sunday evening). We appreciate the awareness.''It will be impossible to secure a business class seat on a single flight,'' the statement added.
“As it was unclear whether Vodacom Bulls would qualify until 48 hours before departure, we recommend that you pre-book your seats, taking into account the potential risk of losing 100% of the flight price if you book as a group. was discounted as an option, but it was not required until 48 hours before departure, or playing at home or away (for eligibility).
“SA Rugby believes that the flight procured by SA Rugby for Vodacom Bulls (at a cost to SA Rugby of $4,108,449) represents the best outcome achievable under the circumstances.”
read more: Champions Cup stats leader: destructive Fijian, elusive French star and back-row key player 'calls for Springbok recall'
