Ballot box offers EP rugby clubs lifeline

EP Rugby clubs are facing tough decisions at the ballot box when they vote for a permanent president to take the union into a new era on March 23. The long-awaited election offers EP a golden opportunity to start afresh and draw a line under years of instability when a special general meeting is held. At this stage it is unclear whether the next president will be elected from within the current executive, or a new face will make a bid for the top job.

Nominations for positions close seven days before the meeting, and new names could be in the hat for the top job in EP rugby.

There has been speculation that a high-flying businessman is weighing up his options as to whether to put his name in the election hat.

It is believed he is busy canvassing various sub-unions to gauge what support he can anticipate before he enters what will be a bitter election battle.

The list of presidential candidates is expected to be announced shortly and clubs will face tough decisions at the ballot box.

At the special general meeting, clubs will vote for a permanent president, deputy president and chair of coaching and development.

In a surprise twist, George Malgas could make a dramatic comeback and be elected as president of the EP Rugby Union only weeks after he was toppled in a palace revolution.

In what is turning into a game of musical chairs, EP Rugby will elect its fourth president in a matter of months.

Since the suspension of Maasdorp Cannon in 2023, Malgas and Gerald Antonie have led EP as the union seeks stability.

Malgas always felt he had the constitutional right to lead the union, but he was overruled by SA Rugby and voted out of power.

It is not known whether EP’s acting deputy president, Roger Serfontein, has any presidential ambitions, but he is likely to reveal his intentions in the coming days.

EP’s Elephants kick off their SA Cup campaign on March 27, and hopefully there will be a united executive team supporting them from the stands.

The ballot box offers EP rugby clubs a lifeline they cannot afford to miss.