SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux has laughed off claims from Peter de Villiers that members of the South African Rugby Union paid Boland to remove his name from consideration for the head coaching job last year, writes CRAIG LEWIS.

In an interview with Jo’burg PM on Monday, De Villiers alleged that there were sinister means behind his removal from contention to coach Boland.

‘They will never allow me to go to any rugby union in South Africa,' he commented. 'What I heard very early last year is that people from Saru paid Boland actually, or offered them money not to even consider me… I heard it from a very good source.’

De Villiers, who coached the Springboks between 2008 and 2011, was linked to the Boland job last October after Brent Janse van Rensburg resigned under mysterious circumstances, but in the end Randall Modiba was appointed as head coach.

In response De Villiers's claims, SA Rugby provided a short and emphatic response refuting any suggestion of underhanded involvement in the appointment process.

'It's factually incorrect and actually laughable,' Roux stated.

Photo: Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images