UKHOLWA wukuthi ukunqoba indebe yokuqala phesheya kwezilwandle kusho ukuthi iqembu lisendlelene ebheke ezingeni elifuna ukufika kulo umqeqeshi weHollywoodbets Sharks, uJohn Plumtree.
ISharks inqobe umqhudelwano odlalwa namaqembu akwamanye amazwe okokuqala ngesikhathi iguqisa iGloucester yase-England ngo 36-22 eTottenham Hotspur Stadium eLondon, ngoLwesihlanu ebusuku.
Ngaphambi kwalokho, yahluleka ukunqoba iSuper Rugby ngesikhathi amaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika esayingxenye yalowo mqhudelwano. Selokhu yashintsha adlala imiqhudelwano yase-Europe, ibingakaphakamisi ndebe.
Belilincane ithemba lokuthi leli qembu lizoqeda isizini linesicoco ngenxa yokuba wukudla kwenduku komunye umqhudelwano, i-United Rugby Championship (URC), lapho lilele khona endaweni ka-13 kwi-log.
Nokho, kuthe uma kuqala iChallenge lakwazi ukuthola umgqigqo walo, langabheka emuva laze laba ngompetha.
“Ngesikhathi ngifika ekuqaleni kwesizini iqembu belihlakazekile. Izinto bezingahambi kahle futhi kuthathe isikhathi ukuthi zilunge. Iqembu selihlangene manje, abadlali bayathandana,” kusho uPlumtree.
“Umsebenzi wami wukuqhubeka nokwakha leli qembu. Sinabadlali abasezingeni eliphezulu abangenayo kanye nabanye abasebancane esibafakayo kancane kancane. Isikwati sethu sizoqina futhi kuzomele sibe njalo ngoba sidinga izikwati ezimbili eziqinile ukuze sidlale kahle kwiChampions Cup ne-URC ngesizini ezayo. Laba badlali ngeke bakwazi ukudlala imidlalo engu-28 noma engu-30 ngonyaka.
“Asikafiki lapho siya khona kodwa sisendleleni. Nginenhlanhla yokuthi iqembu liphethwe nguMarco Masotti, ozimisele ngokwenza iSharks ibe yiqembu elihlonishwayo futhi kodwa usemkhulu umsebenzi okufanele wenziwe."
UPlumtree, odabuka eNew Zealand, ukholwa wukuthi ukudlala emiqhudelwaneni yase-Europe kuyawathuthukisa amaqembu akuleli kodwa kumele kwenziwe izinguquko ezinhlelweni zomqhudelwano ukuze kwehliswe ubunzima obudalwa wukuyodlala phesheya.
“Lo mqhudelwano awulula neze emaqenjini aseNingizimu Afrika. Lolu bekuwuhambo lwethu lwesine lwaphesheya kulo nyaka futhi sesihlale cishe isikhathi esihlanganisa izinyanga ezintathu singekho ekhaya. Kumele babheke ukuthi bangenza kanjani lo mqhudelwano ube ngcono,” kusho lo mqeqeshi.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kuzoba umqhudelwano ohamba phambili emhlabeni. Kimina ungcono kuneSuper Rugby, engisebenze kakhulu kuyona, kodwa kunezinto okumele zilungiswe futhi ngiyethemba ukuthi lokho kuzokwenzeka maduze.”
ISharks izodlala umdlalo wayo wokugcina wamaqoqo e-URC neVodacom Bulls eHollywoodbets Kings Park ngoMgqibelo ntambama. Kuzoba yithuba lokuthi abalandeli bayo bayibonele eduze indebe yabo entsha.