MICHAEL METELITS, Johannesburg | Monday 7.00pm.
NO steps will be taken to discipline the Fedsure Western Stormers who doubled coronary rates around South Africa by threatening not to take the field for a Super 12 semifinal against the Otago Highlanders in May, according to a statement released on Monday.
A joint statement released by the South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu), the SA Rugby Players’ Association (Sarpa), the Stormers’ management committee, Andy Marinos and Corn Krige outlines the controversy, but says Sarfu has “decided to take no further steps in the matter”. Marinos’ and Krige’s decision to donate the extra money they got to the Chris Burger/Petro Jackson Fund played a key role.
Marinos and Krige acknowledge, in the group statement, “involvement in an incident which created the belief” that the Stormers would not play the semifinal without additional pay. They further acknowledge that this belief was not in the interests of “Sarfu or of the game of rugby football, or of the Stormers’ Management or of the general rugby supporting public.”
Further in the group language of the statement, Marinos and Krige apologise to Sarfu, the Stormers’ management, and the rugby-supporting public for damaging their good names.
Finally, Sarfu let Marinos and Krige off the hook because they apologised, “showed regret and had clean records”, although the governing body said it viewed the matter “in the most serious light.”