Border to fall in SARU hands
Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:36
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) are poised to take over the running of the Border Rugby Union (BRFU), while the BRFU could be facing a High Court order if a request to them to call a special general meeting is not met.
This follows the alleged refusal of the BRFU to stage a special general meeting following a written request by the BRFU sub-unions of Mooiplaas, Chalumna and Veru (Victoria East).
And in an unprecedented move, BRFU president Cliff Pringle on Monday confirmed he had held informal talks with SARU president Oregon Hoskins over the weekend regarding the precarious state of Border Rugby and the possibility of the union being placed under SARU curatorship.
Pringle confirmed that while no formal request had yet been made for SARU intervention in running the union's affairs, Hoskins and other high-ranking SARU officials would be visiting the BRFU, hopefully some time this week, where the dire political and financial situation of the union would be discussed and a way forward plotted.
Hoskins could not be contacted as he was in Ireland. Pringle said he would brief his executive committee as soon as possible on his talks with Hoskins.
"There are many powerful forces at play regarding Border Rugby and it's sad that this has become something of a habit," said Pringle.
"We believe there's a concerted attempt to topple the Border executive committee and it's a pity we again have to go down this route.
"Even if I step down from the presidency the power struggle will inevitably continue after I'm gone and that won't be good for Border Rugby, especially with an Eastern Cape Rugby franchise being planned for the area," he said.
Regarding the claim the BRFU refused to agree to a special general meeting, Pringle said the issues raised by the sub-unions had already been raised and discussed at the annual general meeting in February and again at a June 29 general council meeting.
Specific topics were the general state of affairs of the BRFU, the lack of an Absa Stadium lease agreement with the Buffalo City Municipality and that Pringle was running the BRFU like a dictator.
"We are not denying anybody a meeting. All we want is a copy of the minutes at which the decisions to call a special meeting were taken as we are led to believe the executives were not fully representative," he said.
However one rugby official who did not want to be named said yesterday nowhere in the constitution was it stated that minutes had to be forwarded.
"According to the constitution if three or more affiliates request a special general meeting the BRFU are obliged to call one," he said.
Pringle said the new Absa lease agreement was near completion and would be signed off soon, while at an August 21 BRFU executive meeting, not one member supported the dictatorship claim.
According to attorney Peter Allam, he had recently been approached for advice by former BRFU vice-president and chairman of the board, Geoff Nombuthuma, after the sub-unions' request for the BRFU to call a special general meeting had been denied.
"After checking the BRFU constitution, I then telephoned Leon Botha the BRFU general manager to find out why the request had been turned down.
"Botha said I should put the request of the sub-unions in writing which I plan to do and submit," he added.
Botha could not be contacted for comment yesterday. Allam said should the BRFU not agree to the meeting, a High Court application forcing them to do so could not be ruled out.
SAPA
