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Cape Town - One of South Africa’s top rugby player agents has been suspended following financial irregularities.
Afrikaans website Netwerk24 reported on Sunday that Eduard Kelder has been suspended for a period of three years by SA Rugby.
Kelder, who represented Springbok players like Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Warren Whiteley, Andries Coetzee and Willie le Roux, was called before a disciplinary hearing after it was revealed that he had given his personal bank details to clients instead of account details of his former employer CMS Sport and Entertainment.
The report added that Smith (R38 916) and Coetzee (R19 000) unknowingly paid their commission fees into Kelder’s account without the agent transferring the funds to CMS Sport and Entertainment.
Kelder also personally received a R30 000 fee from a company that had hired Whiteley to appear at a function. He has since repaid Whiteley, while CMS deducted Coetzee’s commission fees from his salary. He has also paid back the majority of Smith’s commission money and is expected to make one last payment of R1 066.
Kelder admitted guilt at a disciplinary hearing and was banned from representing any rugby player for three years.
The agent was fired by CMS but then went to work for rival agency Esportif, however it is unclear whether he is still employed there.
Kelder in the past also represented Springbok utility back Johan Goosen.
Goosen shocked the rugby fraternity was when he retired at the end of 2016.
He had earlier signed a contract extension with French club Racing 92, increasing his salary to €500 000 per year before quitting and returning to South Africa and accepting a job as a commercial director at a saddle-horse stud farm in Bloemfontein.
Goosen has since returned to France where he plays for Montpellier.
