Free State rugby boss Harold Verster remains mum on reports that ousted South African Rugby Union (Saru) president Brian van Rooyen had allegedly tried to bribe him, News24 reported on Tuesday.
It said Verster declined to comment when approached about the allegation.
According to Die Volksblad, he said he would not deny the allegations that were made in a newspaper report.
Van Rooyen did not return calls asking for comment on the matter.
Van Rooyen reportedly offered Verster R3-million and a Test match against France if his union switched allegiance to Van Rooyen before last Friday’s presidential election.
The election saw Van Rooyen being voted out as Saru president, to be replaced by Oregan Hoskins.
Hoskins told the Mercury newspaper he was ”shocked and stunned” when Verster told him about the alleged bribe.
He said Van Rooyen apparently made the offer at a dinner hosted by the Free State Rugby Union on Thursday evening, barely 12 hours before the voting was to take place.
”I was shocked when Harold told me about it,” said the new rugby boss. ”An incumbent shouldn’t be able to make promises like that to try and win votes … To say he would make sure of R3-million in grants and a French Test is ludicrous.”
Hoskins said this underlines the need for an investigation into allegations of corporate mismanagement against the former president to go ahead.
”That inquiry is essential for South African rugby to find out what really happened. It is important to lay the bare facts out on the table and let the judge decide.”
Van Rooyen earlier said he would want the probe to go ahead to ”clear my name”. — Sapa