MONDAY, 11.30AM:
THE National Sports Council on Saturday gave the controversial South African Rugby Football Union’s executive an ultimatum to resign within a fortnight or lose the Springbok badge and face international sports sanctions.
NSC president Mluleki George, himself a rugby official, called on the Sarfu executive, including controversial rugby boss Louis Luyt, to resign before it “kills rugby”, and warned that he has support from the Home Affairs Department and the international rugby community to approve sanctions against international tours to South Africa.
The rugby board hit back, saying it will not accept the NSC’s ultimatum as it infringes on both the NSC’s constitution, and the Constitution of South Africa. It countered the threat that the Springbok emblem would be revoked, saying the copyright on the emblem belongs to Sarfu, not to the NSC.
Sarfu retaliated on Sunday by announcing the lifetime expulsion of former Sarfu vice-president Brian van Rooyen, the man who sparked the rugby controversy by handing the government a dossier alleging financial mismanagement and racism within the sport’s management.
The decision to expel Van Rooyen was taken in his absence and, according to a statement by Sarfu on Sunday, was based on an agreement by an ad hoc disciplinary committee that Van Rooyen had not acted in the best interest of rugby. It announced his immediate expulsion from the Eldoranians Club, Sarfu and Golden Lions Rugby Union, or any of their affiliates.
A defiant Van Rooyen on Sunday night called the decision “laughable”, but not unexpected. “I will not be tried in a kangaroo court and I will not accept anything decided in my absence. They [Sarfu] can go to hell,” he said.