New twist in Daniller docket saga
Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:56
Cleared by Email: Cheetahs back Hennie Daniller
There is a dramatic new twist in the escalating public spat between Western Province and the Free State Cheetahs, who each have the SWD Eagles and Griffons in their respective corners in what has become known as the Daniller docket saga.
What appeared to start out as a complaint about just the use of utility back Hennie Daniller for both the Cheetahs and Griffons, has now escalated into a full scale investigation that also involves two other players - Jandré Blom and Jacques-Louis Potgieter.
The latter two were also on loan to the Griffons from the Cheetahs earlier in the season and have since returned to the Cheetahs.
Western Province officials, cleverly dovetailing with the Eagles, who lodged a parallel complained, are contesting the validity of the practice whereby the Cheetahs loan players to the Griffons to play in the First Division and then recall those players when they are needed for duty in the Currie Cup competition.
It is worth noting that Western Province are involved in a race with the Cheetahs and the Lions for a place in the Currie Cup semifinals, while the Eagles could benefit from a reversal of points (which is what they have requested), which will allow them to take the place of the Griffons in the promotion/relegation series between Premier and First Division teams later this month.
The WP/Eagles complaint centres on two issues - whether the Currie Cup Premier Division and the First Division teams compete in the same competition and whether the Cheetahs and Griffons are pushing the limit of the laws with the frequency in which these players are moved between the two competitions.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) President's Council last year ruled that the Premier Division (Currie Cup) and First Division are separate competitions, but WP and the Eagles are contesting this ruling.
The Cheetahs, in turn, contest that they had permission from SARU's legal department to make use of the loan system.
"We took a good look at the regulations before the start of the season," Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské told the Afrikaans daily, Volksblad.
The Cheetahs also maintain that their team manager, Helgard Müller, received written approval of the loan agreement from Christo Ferreira, General Manager of Policies and Regulations at SARU, on July 3.
"I don't think anything will come of it," Drotské said.
However, SARU said in a statement that they will inspect the proper documentation regarding the Cheetahs/Griffons player eligibility case on Thursday as a matter of urgency.
The SARU statement reads: "The South African Rugby Union will urgently review on Thursday documentation relating to a complaint that the Griffons and Free State Cheetahs fielded ineligible players in the First Division and Currie Cup Premier Division respectively.
"If the review finds there is a prima facie case to answer a Judicial Officer will be appointed to adjudicate on the matter.
"The complaint relates to the loan appearance for the Griffons in Absa Currie Cup First Division fixtures of Free State Cheetahs players Hennie Daniller, Jandré Blom and Jacques-Louis Potgieter."
