Crucial meeting to determine future of EC Super 14
“D-Day” is how Border Rugby and their EP counterparts have described their meeting over nonpayment of clubs with the custodians of the Eastern Cape Super 14 today.
The Qonce meeting at 11am is likely to be the last between the two unions and stakeholders from the Eastern Cape Sports Confederation, sport, recreation, arts and culture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe, and both heads of department of the treasury and sport and recreation.
It will determine the future of the competition which has become a talking point over the past 10 months.
Clubs from the two unions have been up in arms over the nonpayment of their appearance fees, travelling costs and prize money for the 2023 competition.
Border have already indicated they will take legal action and their clubs will not take any part in the 2024 edition should the matter not be resolved quickly.
They had given the sports confederation, which oversees the provincial competition made up of seven clubs each from Border and EP, until Monday for the payment.
However, contacted after the cut-off, Border Rugby president Zuko Badli said they had not yet pulled the trigger and were awaiting the outcome of today’s discussions.
“We have been having meetings with them in the past few months, we hope this time around we will reach common ground and resolve the issue at hand without any further steps,” he said.
Last week, Eastern Cape Sports Confederation president Mzondeleli Qotoyi said they had sent the matter to the office of premier Oscar Mabuyane and the provincial treasury, which were working on it.
EP acting president George Malgas shared Badli’s sentiments.
EP’s top rugby clubs decided they wanted the Super 14 to continue after a three-hour meeting on Monday last week, but in a more cost-effective manner.
Delegates agreed that the best option to keep the tournament alive would be for EP and Border teams to play the group stage matches in their own regions to cut down on travelling expenses.
The alternative tournament is scheduled to start in two weeks’ time.
However, Malgas indicated that should the custodians of the Super 14 give them written assurance on payments today, they would disband the new tournament and go back to playing the provincial competition.
“Between Border and us [EP] we will remain on the same page from the last meeting we had, pay us our money for 2023 so that we can give it to our clubs and we will compete in 2024,” he said.
“We also had an understanding with the sports confederation that maybe the money for 2024 should be given to Border and EP from the funds that have been paid by the department of sports to the sports confederation.
“Hopefully, we can find each other and resolve the matter.
“We have been working very hard for this to be resolved.
“If they give us a date and write down when the funds will be paid, for sure we can negotiate with the clubs.”*