Questions about bid to oust EP Rugby boss
According to George Byron, club delegates will face difficult choices when casting votes for a number of positions in the EP Rugby Union. I completely disagree. No sane person with rugby experience, particularly in the Eastern Cape, nor any sane person with the best interests of EP Rugby at heart would vote out the current executive.
This executive, with Andre Rademan as president, has completely turned around the financial losses suffered, in that the union is now in the black.
A top-tier coach has been hired and tasked with building the player pool.
Stuurman makes a number of statements which I believe must be addressed:
1. Stuurman wants the union to be repositioned as a union in interprovincial relation and to SA rugby and world rugby. He does not say how this should be done.
2. Stuurman wants the EP Rugby Union to explore branding and marketing opportunities, and create a financially stable entity attractive for both players and investors. He does not say how he would do this.
3. Stuurman says the union needs to instil financial discipline. This has been done already. Let’s not forget that Stuurman was among the respondents being sued for salaries owed to players in March 2019; does EP Rugby really need a man of this character?
4. Stuurman says he will be responsible for introducing development systems. This is already being done, and the current head coach, Peter de Villiers, is active in this, along with schools and NMU.
5. Stuurman wants the government and correctional services to buy into renewed focus on clubs. How and why?
There is much pie in the sky in comments Stuurman has made, but no actual deliverables on how he will achieve what he says needs to be done.
Notwithstanding the fact that much of what he is saying has already been achieved, with one exception, and that is major corporate sponsorship, which can only be achieved with stability within the union which Rademeyer and his executive have brought.
Within the Covid-ravaged rugby season of 2020 and the current season, with so much uncertainty within rugby, does EP Rugby really need the instability and distrust which Stuurman would no doubt bring?