The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has slammed SuperSport in a statement for putting "profit and greed before the interest and well-being of ordinary South Africans" although the trade union has called off its planned public protest for Saturday at Newlands in its ongoing conflict over televised rugby.
Cosatu is angry over the lack of live free-to-air rugby matches on South African television and has started a fight with South African Rugby and SuperSport that has the exclusive live broadcasting rights.
Springbok rugby matches can't be shown live at the same time on SuperSport and on a public broadcaster like the SABC - something that Cosatu doesn't seem to understand.
There would be no reason for any pay-TV broadcaster forking out millions to acquire rights if viewers can watch it free on a public channel anyway.
Saturday's rugby test match between the Springboks and the All Blacks at Newlands in Cape Town as part of the Rugby Championship will still only be broadcast live on SuperSport at 17:05, but will be shown delayed live on SABC2 on Saturday starting at 19:00.
So far the SABC has so far not bothered to make any schedule announcement about it.
Cosatu that earlier this week threatened to publicly protest the rugby match and demanded that all Springbok rugby matches be broadcast on the SABC as well, announced on Friday that it has called off its picketing plan.
Cosatu, SA Rugby and the ministry of sport and recreation held a two-day meeting in Cape Town over rugby broadcasting rights.
In a statement on Friday Cosatu said "Cosatu has scored a great victory for South Africans, who in future will now be able to see national teams live on SABC, the national public broadcaster".
"Government and SARU have agreed with Cosatu on making sport accessible to all South Africans. The only party that has so far failed to agree to the majority of poor people getting to see rugby live was SuperSport."
"This means tomorrow's game will not be shown live on SABC. SuperSport in the meeting decided to put profit and greed before the interest and well-being of ordinary South Africans."
"Cosatu will be in the forefront in taking national sport away from SuperSport. The protest planned for tomorrow at Newlands is therefore suspended and will not take place".
"The federation and its entire membership hereby wishes our National Rugby team, the Springboks, well in their game tomorrow against New Zealand."
Cosatu's Western Cape general secretary, Tony Ehrenreich, claims a SuperSport representative walked out of the meeting.
SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux in a statement says "the meetings were held in a very good spirit and we definitely made progress in terms of our dialogue on the topic of broadcast rights".
"We have existing agreements in place regarding the broadcasting of rugby in South Africa, which are within the regulatory framework which governs this. If it was not for the revenue generated from these deals, rugby as a sport in our country would not be able to survive. It allows us to stay in the game."
"We agreed to meet again with all the relevant stakeholders and to engage with them in terms of the mechanics of the broadcasting of local rugby matches in future, as well as the funding of sport."
"As SA Rugby, we are always supportive of and open to dialogue on important issues regarding our sport here in South Africa."
In response to a media enquiry a SuperSport spokesperson tells TVwithThinus that SuperSport has noted the discussions between SA Rugby, the ministry of sport and recreation and Cosatu. SuperSport says it endorses the statement issued by SA Rugby.
SupertSport says Cosatu's claim of a walkout by a SuperSport representative is fake news and didn't happen.
