After months of turmoil in Eastern Province rugby, SA Rugby announced on Thursday that the EP Rugby Union was under its administrative control.
This comes on the back of financial difficulties suffered by the EPRU due to lack of sponsorship, which saw them unable to bankroll the Southern Kings franchise or pay salaries to a number of players and coaches since late last year.
It resulted in SA Rugby taking over the Super Rugby franchise, and now the national body will be in charge of the union as following consultation with EPRU president Cheeky Watson, he agreed to the action.
The drastic move comes just a few weeks before the EPRU’s company was expected to come up with R18 million by May 10 to avoid being liquidated by a court order, so that the outstanding salaries could be paid.
SA Rugby announced in a statement on Thursday that Monde Tabata, an independent member of its own executive committee, will be the administrator at the EPRU.
“The Executive Council determined to step in some time ago but without the consent of a union it is impossible to practically take such action,” SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux said. “We have now reached that point and trust that our intervention can assist in regularising the situation.”
The next step is to secure considerable sponsorship, not only to pay the outstanding salaries, but also in order for the Super Rugby franchise to run as an entity on its own instead of having to rely on SA Rugby to fulfil its financial obligations.
Roux said that there has been some progress made in that regard. “We will be working with all stakeholders to find solutions to EP’s problems, but we do not have a magic wand and there are months of hard work ahead,” he said.
“We have already had conversations with interested parties, but it would be premature to say much more right now. We are working for the interests of rugby in the Eastern Province and will do everything to help them bet back on their feet.”
Watson has come under fire in EP rugby circles, but has survived a few attempts to vote him out of his position due to technicalities.
He said on Thursday that he would co-operate with SA Rugby, with another executive council member in Francois Davids being appointed as an interim chairman of the EPRU committees. “We (EPRU) will do everything in our power to assist in SA Rugby in their work,” Watson said.
In the meantime, the Southern Kings are continuing to feature in Super Rugby, with their next match this weekend against the Lions in Port Elizabeth, with those players and management members being paid by SA Rugby.
Eastern Province do have a team in the Currie Cup qualifying stages, but that team is made up of mainly juniors and academy members who are prepared to play without earning salaries.
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