Beleaguered South African rugby boss Johan Prinsloo launched a scathing attack on the provincial presidents as he broke down on Wednesday while describing the scandal and conflict that has torn the sport apart.
In an astonishing outburst, Prinsloo, chief executive of South African Rugby, pointed fingers at the Presidents' Council, alleging that constant interference made running the day-to-day affairs of rugby impossible for paid staff.
Prinsloo has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks - culminating in revelations that sexual harassment charges were being brought against him by a married male employee - and on Wednesday he spoke of the stress and how it was taking its toll.
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"Every single day there are issues. There is not a week that goes by without the organisation being plagued by in-fighting and it tears you apart. And, as much as the staff try to keep independent of the politics and backstabbing, you are forced to choose sides," he said.
| 'Every day there are issues' |
"It has become impossible to do your work while we have had to deal with 20 bosses. If you move to the left, you are confronted by one political faction, to the right another and in the centre you are also exposed.
"The Presidents' Council will vote and make one decision. But instead of sticking by their original decision, they will vote again and overturn everything at the drop of a hat.
"Before you decide anything you have to count the votes, irrespective of whether the initiative is good for the game or not."
While rugby appears impotent in the face of the power struggles, Prinsloo emphasised collective responsibility and said changes would have to be made to move forward.
"The presidents also have to take responsibility and need to understand that South African rugby is slightly bigger than their own individual provinces.
| 'The criticism is relentless' |
"When things are going well they will be sure to try and take the credit. But they will also be the first to try and lay blame and point fingers when things go wrong. It is a vicious circle," he said.
Prinsloo, clearly at breaking point, did not deny he might be on the verge of resigning. He said, however, that he had a contract until 2007 and would be discussing his future in the next few days.
"The criticism is relentless at South African Rugby and the exposure is massive. I have had calls (from journalists) in England, Australia, New Zealand and Japan this week," he said.
Prinsloo's predecessor, former SA Rugby managing director Rian Oberholzer, was forced out of office in 2003 after changing the constitution in an effort to streamline decision-making without interference from the presidents.
Prinsloo rallied to Oberholzer's defence, saying he had made the correct decision and his original initiative would have to be revived as the only way forward for rugby.
He said: "I never wanted Rian Oberholzer or (former deputy managing director) Songezo Nayo out of rugby. They were both very competent administrators.
"The presidents must now go back to running their provinces (as amateurs) and make way for a board of nine directors and a chairman to oversee the running of rugby.
"In this way, the managing director and managers of SA Rugby will be accountable to the board and if they don't perform they will be fired."
Prinsloo also defended embattled SA Rugby president Brian van Rooyen, who is facing a motion of no-confidence at a Presidents' Council meeting in Johannesburg on Friday.
"What people do not understand about Brian van Rooyen is that he worked 24 hours a day for rugby and did a lot of good while his own business suffered. You have to give him credit for the thousands of miles he drove in his own car to rural areas week after week conducting rugby business," Prinsloo said.
His proposal for restructuring rugby is supported by Gideon Sam, acting chairperson of the management committee, who endorsed the suggestion for a board and a chairman to take over on conventional business lines.
"Until things are sorted out once and for all, rugby will not be able to function. That means sitting around a table and deciding who the board should be and the chairman," he said.
Sharks president Oregan Hoskins, Van Rooyen's main rival for the presidency of SA Rugby, also backed the proposal.
Hoskins had to defend himself against a charge by Van Rooyen that he flew his wife and two sons to Cape Town at SA Rugby's expense for the recent Springbok-All Blacks test.
"It's a cheap shot," he said. "Every year the presidents are entitled to attend two test matches in South Africa. We stayed at the Holiday Inn at no extra charge to SA Rugby and I took care of my own car rental."
- This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Argus on September 08, 2005
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