Following a hastily convened meeting in Port Elizabeth yesterday, between the incumbent Eastern Province Rugby executives, SA Rugby’s Hoskins, Stofile and Prinsloo, as well as interested members from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Sport, the Metro, Provincial government and representatives from the local business community, it was decided to establish an ad hoc committee and advisory panel, to contribute towards developing rugby administration in the Eastern Province.
This latest meeting and establishment of this ad hoc committee, follows the desperate siren call by SA Rugby last month, to unilaterally disband the EP rugby Executive and replace it with one of their choosing.
The executive committee of Eastern Province rugby responded in a democratic and consultative move, by calling an extra ordinary special meeting for all their clubs on Wednesday the 18th October, at which, two unanimous resolutions, were taken by all the Eastern Province rugby clubs.
As the Eastern Province Rugby elections are scheduled for the 18th November, the clubs resolved that the Eastern Province rugby Executives will remain in place till then and in particular, the Eastern Province rugby executive elections scheduled for the 18th November, will provide a constitutional and democratic forum, for all 102 Eastern province rugby clubs, to elect a leadership of their choosing, who will act in the best interests of Eastern Province rugby.
Many of the clubs representatives who attended the 18th October special general meeting, voiced their concerns of SA Rugby, openly hijacking Eastern Province and its elections, with scant regard for the EP rugby constitution, as well as that of the SA Rugby Constitution, with wanting to unilaterally overthrow the current Eastern Province rugby executive, in a move that violates the very fundamental principles of democracy and sportsmanship, articulated in the IRB constitution, which clauses are also incorporated in the SA Rugby and Eastern Province rugby constitutions.
The ad hoc committee or advisory group, hastily cobbled together by SA Rugby yesterday, has no mandate to act for and on behalf of the 102 rugby clubs in the Eastern Province, nor have any of the members been elected or appointed with any authority or accountability. Of great concern to the Eastern Province rugby clubs is that SA Rugby has tabled neither a strategic business plan or timetable and is instead intent on being prescriptive to the EP region, to merely derail the Spears from participating in the 2007 Super 14 competition. SA Rugby must submit the 5 franchise team sheets to SANZAR on the 1st December 2006.
The EP rugby clubs are adamant that the Eastern Province rugby executive remain till the 18th December and that all 102 clubs are not denied their democratic and constitutional right to have free and fair elections on the 18th November 2007.
This move is seen by all 102 Eastern Province as a desperate last ditch attempt by SA Rugby, to oust the Spears from the 2007 Super 14 competition and not abide by the Cape High Court order of the 4th August, in which Judge Dennis Davis ordered that the Spears play in the 2007 and 2008 Super 14 competitions
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