A marathon five-hour SA Rugby president’s council meeting on Friday, which was supposedly scheduled to determine the future of SA Rugby president Brian van Rooyen, was much ado about nothing.
The council decided to meet after the shock resignation of Judge Edwin King from heading an inquiry that was to investigate Van Rooyen on 11 counts of corporate mismanagement.
However, the only decision taken by the president’s council was that Golden Lions president Professor Jannie Ferreira is to meet Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhenkesi Stofile to discuss taking the Van Rooyen process further.
”I have been tasked with taking this process further and I will be meeting with the minister of sport to discuss this matter,” Ferreira said after the meeting.
Seemingly, the council was unanimous in agreeing that an investigation into Van Rooyen should take place.
”Everybody wants the process to continue and everybody accepts there needs to be an investigation,” concluded Ferreira.
The futures of Van Rooyen and SA Rugby CEO Johan Prinsloo were apparently not discussed at the meeting, with Ferreira only saying: ”Prinsloo’s future was not in discussion today.”
It has been widely reported that Van Rooyen and Prinsloo could soon have the rugby door shut on them at next month’s SA Rugby annual general meeting.
Finweek reported on Friday that Van Rooyen was to face opposition from KwaZulu-Natal president Oregan Hoskins at the February 24 annual general meeting, but Hoskins, like the rest of his council counterparts, remained tight-lipped.
Thirteen of the 14 unions that make up the president’s council were represented at Friday’s meeting, with new presidents Stag Cronje from South Western Districts, Boet Fick from the Blue Bulls and Jannie Marais from the Griffons making their first appearance. The beleaguered Border Rugby Union was not represented. — Sapa