The Stormers are staying focused on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign amid the boardroom drama between SA Rugby and the Western Province Rugby Football Union. DYLAN JACK reports.

SA Rugby confirmed on Tuesday that it has advised the WPRFU it is invoking its constitutional power to take administrative control of the union.

The advice was provided following a decision by the executive council (Exco) of the South African Rugby Union on Monday.

Experienced former SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer has been appointed as an administrator and will assume oversight of the union’s affairs immediately. His remit includes supervision of the operational affairs of Western Province (Pty) Ltd, which manages the professional playing teams of the Stormers and Western Province.

The Stormers are currently over 13,000km away from Cape Town, looking for their first win of the campaign over the Dragons in Newport on Friday, after coming away with a creditable draw with Edinburgh in the third round of the competition.

During a media conference on Tuesday afternoon, assistant coach Dawie Snyman batted away questions of whether the team had in any way been affected by the events back home.

“We are focusing on the rugby side of it,” Snyman said.

“What needs to happen there, is not up to us. We can answer rugby questions and focus on that side of things.”

SA Rugby president Mark Alexander has assured supporters that the appointment of an administrator was to stabilise the union’s governance and operational business and was not to have any direct influence on Stormers affairs.

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