CEO’S
REP O RT
EUGENE HENNING
O
N 28TH FEBRUARY 2020, MYPLAYERS SENT ITS FIRST OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION TO PLAYERS ABOUT COVID-19. AT THE TIME, THE CORONA VIRUS HAD BEEN DETECTED IN 30 COUNTRIES, PRO14 FIXTURES IN ITALY HAD BEEN JEOPARDISED, AND THE SUPER RUGBY MATCH BETWEEN THE
SUNWOLVES AND BRUMBIES HAD BEEN CALLED OFF BY THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT. While we monitored what was happening in other parts
Could we have been better prepared for an eventuality
of the world, this outbreak emanating from China still felt
such as Covid-19? I’m no doctor, but I doubt it. In the
like a distant reality. A week later, South Africa confirmed
end, every person, business and industry could only do
its first case. Fast forward 12 months, and we find
what they felt were the best things to do at the time.
ourselves in the grips of the worst and most disruptive
Rugby was no different, and as an industry – as with all
pandemic the world has experienced since the Spanish
others – we had to make tough and unpopular decisions
flu of 1918. By November 2020, only nine of the world’s
based on the facts and forecast we had at our disposal.
195 countries had not yet reported a single case. Undoubtedly, the most impactful decision taken by the The reality, one we are all too familiar with by now, didn’t
South African rugby industry as a whole was to reduce
pass anyone over. I remember being on a telephone
the salaries of all players and permanent employees
call with our player representative colleagues in New
working in rugby. The decision wasn’t an easy one to
Zealand and Australia in March. We were planning on
take, accepting it was even harder, and living with the
co-producing a video featuring many of the Southern
consequences felt unbearable at times. Besides not
hemisphere’s most prominent players encouraging
receiving our full salaries and being unable to play
people to adhere to Covid-19 health and safety protocols.
rugby, we were confined to our homes, we missed
It was supposed to be a light-hearted clip that had the
birthdays and family get-togethers, weddings had
potential to go viral. News platforms were publishing
to be called off, and young parents feared bringing
video clips explaining how one should actually be
a child into this strange world for which most post-
washing your hands – such a rudimentary task.
WW II generations had no prior reference or coping mechanisms. Financial and mental hardship and
While we were drafting the script for our own video, the
an increased sense of uncertainty about the future
virus clawed its way into more countries, provinces and
entered our homes, and for months, we could only
individual lives. By the time we would have been ready
wonder when normality would again reflect in our lives
to click “Publish”, our video would have been outdated,
and bank balances.
and honestly, our light-hearted approach felt almost insensitive. People were dying, families were losing loved
However, amidst all the uncertainty, the South African
ones, vaccines were only expected to be ready within 12
rugby industry pulled together in a remarkable and
to 18 months, and across the globe, countries adopted
unprecedented collective effort to safeguard the
different strategies to counter the spread of Covid-19.
industry against complete ruin. Politics and individual
Eventually, many of the most touted grant strategies
interests were set aside for the sake of getting South
failed miserably. Washing our hands seemed like the only
African rugby through lockdown and the consequent
thing we really could do. The only thing we knew how to.
restrictions put on training, playing and earning revenue.
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