More plans to get rid of Cheeky Watson

Cape Town - There are plans in place for another vote of no confidence against embattled EP Rugby Union (EPRU) president Cheeky Watson.

Sport24 reported how a technicality prevented a planned vote of no confidence in Watson from taking place at the union’s annual general meeting last week.

According to officials present, the vote of no confidence did not take place because some clubs failed to meet constitutional requirements while some letters from clubs requesting a vote of no confidence were nullified because the required signatures of both the president and secretary of the club were absent.

According to SA Rugbymag, this was in part believed to have been the result of logistical difficulties faced by rural clubs, where in certain instances, the president and secretary reside some distance from one another - and the club.

At last Thursday’s meeting, the clubs asked for the financially stricken EP Rugby Union to be placed under SARU administration, with the request to be tabled at SA Rugby’s next board meeting.

However, the clubs are now planning another annual general meeting where they will vote on the fate of Watson.

Rugby Transformation Coalition representative, Bantwini Matika, on Wednesday said they will submit five signed letters, in accordance with the constitutional requirements, to call for the special general meeting to take place.

It’s believed that the clubs will need to gain a two-thirds majority to unseat Watson at the meeting, which Matika said they hoped would take place before the end of March.

“We will ensure that we close any loopholes, and comply 100% with the constitution to ensure that the motion of no confidence cannot be rejected this time. We have done our homework and believe more than ever that clubs are now aware of the need to get rid of the rot in EP Rugby.”

Under Watson as president, the EP Rugby Union plunged into a financial crisis last year, with the union unable to pay players’ salaries.

Watson had promised a R200m sponsorship for the Kings but this failed to materialise, with players forced to accept food vouchers following the non-payment of salaries.

It led to SARU stepping in to take control of the union’s Super Rugby franchise, the Southern Kings, who were thrashed 43-8 at home in their opening Super Rugby match against the Sharks last weekend.