An EP Rugby general meeting scheduled for Saturday, where president Cheeky Watson was expected to face a renewed vote of no confidence, has been called off at the last minute.
According to The Herald, a vote of no confidence in Watson and his executive was set to be on the agenda, but the meeting was postponed because SA Rugby executive member Francois Davids has flu, and would not be able to attend.
It has again raised suspicions and allegations that Watson is simply being protected from facing up to disgruntled clubs that are seeking to push for his removal from EP Rugby.
‘I am extremely disappointed for the clubs of EP Rugby,’ Rugby Transformation Coalition representative Qondakele Sompondo told The Herald. ‘It is becoming quite clear to us that there is a trend to refuse to hold meetings.’
However, EP Rugby administrator Monde Tabata denied there was anything untoward behind the postponement of the meeting.
‘If you look at the letter of our appointment as administrators here, Davids is the chairman of all meetings of this union. If it was just an ordinary meeting I guess I could chair it myself.
‘But it is a meeting that is holding a governance issue in terms of the vote of no confidence. I know there is a lot of suspicion, but I want this meeting like you cannot believe.’
Meanwhile, some clubs are also understood to be opposing an alleged attempt from former Southern Spears CEO Tony McKeever to head up a ‘Nelson Mandela Bay Rugby’ proposal.
It’s believed that McKeever has approached the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro with a self-funded ‘blueprint’ to change the way EP rugby is governed, which forms part of a proposed bid to revive professional and amateur rugby in the province.
Yet, the Rugby Transformation Coalition has moved to suggest that the proposal does not fall in line with the current SA Rugby intervention.
‘It is so unfortunate that our desperation situation is now identified as a rugby carcass of South Africa, so much so it attracts just about every opportunistic carnivore on earth to have a go at us,’ a Rugby Transformation Coalition statement reads.
‘We cannot allow this to happen when we have existing structures and clubs in place to deal with our problem. Clubs appointed SA Rugby to take over our administration and that’s the only intervention we know and respect.’
Photo: Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images
