The Eastern Province Rugby Union will no longer be under the administrative control of SA Rugby following a series of decisions at a general meeting in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
SA Rugby took charge of the beleaguered EPRU in April 2016 in an attempt to regularise the union's poor financial state. But on Monday it was announced that the administration of the union will return to local hands, after the national governing body ensured the EP's playing commitments were fulfilled, albeit with the help of a liquidator.
SA Rugby drafted a new pathway and plan for the administration of the union, with a part of said plan being the adoption of a new constitution and executive structure, which was passed on Saturday. The new constitution and structure triggers new elections for office bearers which, once completed, pave the way for SA Rugby to withdraw its administrator and interim chairman.
The liquidation of EP Rugby (Pty) Ltd – the commercial arm of the EPRU – will continue in parallel. It is hoped that that process will now have a more positive outcome than was expected, clearing the way for a recapitalisation plan to move ahead with interested local parties.
Mark Alexander, president of SA Rugby, said he hopes these changes will help the union's long-term future.
'I’d like to commend the Eastern Province rugby community for looking forward and accepting SA Rugby’s proposals. This has been a difficult period for the union but there is now a clear way forward for rugby to restore itself to an even keel.'
Meanwhile, the date for the union's elections has been set for early April and a provisional list of candidates for the new executive and office bearers has been confirmed.
'Elections will be held in 35 days. We will be calling for nominations from today [yesterday],' said SA Rugby offical Monde Tabata. 'It has not been decided yet where the elections will be held, but an announcement will be made nearer to the time. The administrator will hand over the union to the new executive after the elections.'
'I am very excited about this new dawn and we expect good quality candidates to come forward. The cleaned up EP constitution, which also talks to the anxieties of potential sponsors, is aligned to the SA Rugby constitution and World Rugby principles as well as Sascoc requirements. I believe it will attract good candidates,' Tabata explained.
According to the Herald, former Boks Garth Wright and Thando Manana and ex-Southern Spears chief executive Tony McKeever have emerged as possible candidates to lead the union into a new era, after EP Rugby president Cheeky Watson confirmed he would not seek re-election.
The full list of candidates included Wright, Manana,McKeever, Bantwini Matika, Willem Oliphant (Despatch Rugby club president), Brian van Rooyen (former SA Rugby president), Mbulelo Gidane, Mpumelelo Tshume (SA Rugby exco member) and Andre Rademan.
Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
