Newlands to go on auction?

REACTION: Under-fire Western Province Rugby Football Union President Zelt Marais has dismissed suggestions that Newlands Stadium will go on auction next week.

Marais' protestation, contained in a newsletter sent to the WP Rugby community this week, is in reaction to what he called 'insatiable, never-ending, sensation-driven and opportunistic' media reporting.

Marais also took aim at members of his executive, who he accused of being complicit in an orchestrated 'attack' on the Presidency of WP Rugby.

Most tellingly is the WPRFU President's admission that the relationship with Remgro has broken down to the extent that there is no chance of a future partnership with the sports investment company.

And this is most likely where the reports of 'Newlands on auction' originated from.

"Today I share with you the anxiety, fears and frustration of not only facing a killer pandemic in COVID-19 taking the lives of members of our rugby community in Western Province, but also of WP Rugby leaving its 'castle' after more than 130 years and planning to relocate to the Cape Town Stadium, to reports that Newlands Stadium will go on auction on 1 July 2020," Marais said in his newsletter.

He took aim at the media for spreading these falsehoods.

"I share with you all the pain of insatiable, never-ending, sensation-driven and opportunistic reporting held up as 'journalism' by members of the media fraternity making a 'quick buck' from WP Rugby," he added.

"I cannot hide my disappointment with the role that this organ plays in drumming up fear and emotion amongst an already 'battered' and 'bruised' rugby community."

However, there is more to the auction reports than what Marais would perhaps like to believe.

Should WPRFU not be able to come up with ZAR58-million, to pay off their Remgro loan by next Tuesday (June 30), the Stellenbosch-based company has the right to start the process to put the stadium up for auction to recoup its money.

While Newlands will obviously not go on auction next Wednesday, July 1, WPRFU will be in breach of its loan agreement with Remgro and the benefactor then has the right to start legal proceedings - with an auction of the stadium near the top of the list.

The reason why Remgro will opt for an auction is that they have seemingly run out of patience with the WPRFU - after numerous extensions of the loan in the past three years - and, as Marais stated, the relationship has broken down irrevocable.

As Remgro holds the rights to a mortgage on the stadium, they will have first dibs.

That is perhaps why Marais and his WPRFU executive are in such a rush to get their negotiations with Flyt Investments pushed through before the end of the month.

Not only do they need to come up with Remgro's ZAR58-million, but they also owe Investec ZAR50-million.

Marais described the Remgro loan as the 'elephant in the room'.

"I confirm that I explored every possible way to personally engage with Mr [Chairman Johann] Rupert and/or his representatives, but to no avail," Marais said.

"I am the first person to admit (with a very heavy heart) that any form of a future partnership with Remgro has failed.

"I thank my colleagues that unreservedly assisted me in trying to rekindle this relationship, and like you I can only express my disappointment."

He said the deals they are currently negotiating, through their constitutional structures, are done with the most the intentions and the objective of securing the future of WP Rugby.

"Considering these transactions responsibly will ensure informed decisions by the leadership," Marais said.

"Let us as a WP Rugby community remain united from the forces of evil outside and let us seek to understand each other first before going to the masses to seek their understanding."

He also took aim at members of his own union.

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"I am saddened by colleagues that feed these organs with information (mostly quoted out of context) to create pressure on leaders trying to influence outcomes into certain directions, after coming short on rigorous debates in the boardroom.

"These actions are hurtful, not only to the leadership, but to our entire WP Rugby community.

"I cannot be joyful when our rugby community must read these issues on public platforms with the sole purpose of these 'colleagues' to create sensation, but sadly increasing the fear and anxiety of our fragile rugby community."

He also spoke about the internal boardroom struggles.

"I felt the brunt of many challenges, but nothing more hurtful when a colleague publicly called me a 'liar', even repeating it in a leadership meeting, refusing to withdraw his character assignation of me, but I can announce that I have forgiven him.

"Exactly a week ago I was repeatedly called a liar in the most inhumane manner that one can imagine, but rather called for calmness and will bear no malice against the said person.

"The very public humiliation of the Deputy and Vice Presidents of WP Rugby confirms an orchestrated 'attack' on the Presidency of WP Rugby, acts that have no place in WP Rugby and rugby in general, acts that should be dismissed with the contempt that it deserves.

"The very similar sentiments towards some of the 'most senior leaders' in WP Rugby confirmed my suspicion that these are 'very well planned' actions seeking to make us fail.

"I served with these distinguished gentlemen for many years and can attest to their pure motives to serve WP Rugby only, and these 'attacks' on the leadership must be rooted out at all costs."

@king365ed

@rugby365com

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