Watson gets 'stay of execution'

The EPRU executive decided to postpone the Annual General Meeting - which was scheduled to take place at he Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, November 28.

Disgruntled clubs - seeking answers over the ongoing financial crisis and other administrative issues in the region - had planned to table a vote of no confidence against Watson on Saturday.

Last week the South African Rugby Union stepped in to take charge of the Southern Kings - ahead of their return to Super Rugby next year - in the wake of the EPRU's inability to pay the players' salaries.

The clubs - apart from the vote of no confidence - also want answered on a range of other issues.

These include:

* The EPRU's current funding situation.

* The fact that no official correspondence was received by clubs to inform them that EPRU has no money.

* That the union stopped having meetings with clubs, with the result that clubs could not give input and discuss the business of EPRU.

* EPRU is operating unconstitutionally at present, because meetings are not being called; and

* That money earmarked for sub-unions (rugby development) was not received.

EPRU executive member Freddie Makoki, who is vice president and head of provincial affairs for the union, said the decision to postpone Saturday's AGM had been taken in light of the current discussions taking place with SARU over the assistance that the parent body would be providing to the EP Rugby structures ahead of Super Rugby.

"We have received a number of questions from the clubs ahead of the AGM around SARU's involvement," Makoki said.

"There are still a lot of issues which we need to gain clarity on and we are not in a position to be able to provide our members with the answers that they are seeking at this time," he said.

Executive Member Vernon Stuurman, who is also Chairman of the Sub Union Committee, said the decision had been passed by the majority of the current executive.

"This is not a decision we take lightly, but as the executive, we felt that it was prudent to postpone the Annual General Meeting until such time as we are able to more accurately report back to our constituents on the actions that will be taken and the implications that this will have for both the professional structures, as well as for the Union and its various divisions," he said.

Stuurman said that Watson had been one of the executive members who had opposed the motion to delay the AGM.

Executive member George Malgas said the executive was entitled to postpone an Annual General Meeting in terms of the currently binding constitution, which was adopted on 2 March 2011.

Malgas said according to the current constitution the AGM only had to take place before the February 28 next year.

Malgas pointed out that the amended constitution, which was sent out for comment from the clubs last year, has not yet been adopted by club structures and as such is not binding.

Clubs have yet to send in their proposed amendments, according to Malgas.

Stuurman said once the executive felt that they were in a position to adequately address the concerns raised by the clubs with regards to the SARU assistance programme, the executive would then issue a notice of the new date of the AGM as per the guidelines of the constitution, which requires a minimum of 21 days notice.

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