The Team; Our Partners; Facilities & Support; Gallery; News & Events. Play is set to resume soon and there could be a financial windfall, There is now no professional team representing the region known as the nursery for black rugby in SA, Given the parlous financial state of the WP union, you would think it would jump at the offer of R100m made by an American consortium, Rasool’s WP Rugby appointment gets fingers flying, Ebrahim Rasool. “Our whole coaching team have come through the system here at Western Province Rugby and every one of them understands that the DHL Stormers is more than just a rugby team. Would you like to comment on this article or view other readers' comments? But we must honour the whole history of rugby‚ from the very celebrated to those written out of rugby history.”. Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January. The Cape has been and continues to be lashed by storms. While the clubs are flexing their muscles others still see the aborted deal with Investec as the safest one that was available to the union. COVID-19 News & Updates ; Latest News; Archives 2018-2019; Archives 2016-2017; Archives 2014-2015; Apply; Contact Us; Search; Menu; Western Province Rugby Academy (WPRA) Message from our COO.

Register (it’s quick and free) or sign in now. Read more at the SA government's online coronavirus portal or use the 24-hour public hotline: 0800 029 999. It did not take long for incendiary social media and rugby blog commentary to take flight. “We are proud of the fact that all of these coaches have come through our various structures and want to give them the best opportunity to take the DHL Stormers to new heights,” he said. Although Marais is yet to get an official mandate from the more than 100 clubs that make up the union‚ his actions have already been dictated by the faction that got him elected. The Western Province Rugby Football Union will move out of Newlands to Cape Town Stadium to end their 130 years at Newlands by 2020. Please fill in your shipping info to receive your welcome pack. Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) president Zelt Marais‚ who swept to power on a ticket that promised the acceleration of transformation‚ may have ticked another box in that delivery, but his detractors will argue that it is another step in politicising the boardroom. They will also‚ with some alacrity‚ point to his role in the so-called “brown-envelope scandal” in which journalists were paid with public funds while he was premier of the Western Cape. Western Province Rugby Group CEO Paul Zacks said that he is looking forward to seeing what this coaching team will deliver as a group. Our love for treasuring this remarkable sport … If they are to be liquidated‚ they can no longer operate as Western Province and their affiliation to the South African Rugby Union (Saru) will also be suspended. “We must nurture rugby from grass roots — the clubs and the schools — to the professional — the Stormers and our Springboks. Levy, Hlungwani, Shimange and Wright all represented DHL Western Province as players, while every coach has worked at club level locally and worked their way up through the various WP Rugby structures. It is a line-up fit for purpose rather than what he deems to be his best starting XV that Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen will deploy against the Sharks in Durban on Friday. Their chief motivation for moving was to raise funds for imminently payable debt to Remgro (R57m). One insider is yet to be convinced the WPRFU performed due diligence on Dream World Investments‚ further arguing that the subsidiary company can simply be liquidated with no liability to its parent company should they fall on hard times. Dobson said that he and his coaches are excited about the challenges that lie ahead of them in the 2020 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign. Rasool has signed up for a position among WP’s top brass that will be daunting. “The hard work for the 2020 season has already started and we are excited about the potential that we have as a group of coaches working with a world-class squad,” he said.

“The Western Cape is undoubtedly the cradle of rugby in SA‚” said Rasool‚ a point fans in the Eastern Cape may dispute. The Western Province Rugby Football Union will move out of Newlands to Cape Town Stadium to end their 130 years at Newlands by 2020.
That in turn will mean the Stormers‚ as franchise and Super Rugby entity‚ will cease to exist‚ which means Cape Town will no longer have a professional rugby team. Those opposed to his appointment will argue his comments do not speak to the role he is supposed to serve as chair of the professional arm of the organisation. Continue reading our Copyright, Trademarks & Other Intellectual Property Rights | Privacy Policy | Social Media Copyright. Marais contends‚ however‚ that Rasool‚ a former ambassador to the US‚ “brings with him a wealth of experience‚ from his credentials in the struggle for justice‚ his exposure to various portfolios in government‚ his diplomatic experience in the US‚ his academic expertise and his business acumen”. The change of heart came against the backdrop of political infighting within the union. He added: “We are looking forward to harnessing the experience and networks of ambassador Rasool to the benefit of WP Rugby‚ and we are confident his appointment will help usher in an exciting era for WP Rugby. Fans in meltdown mode over claims 'Bongani Zungu had a better career in Europe ... WATCH | Pitso Mosimane explains exactly why he left Sundowns and joined Al Ahly. We’re so happy to have you as a valued member of The Faithful! Even with limited options‚ the WPRFU have with much alacrity‚ expanded the dimensions of the already sizeable hole in which they find themselves. 08 September 2020 - 16:51 Liam Del Carme. “It is vital that we make the most of the considerable playing talent that we have at our disposal and in order to do so we have put together a strong group of coaches who are closely aligned both on and off the field. Of course‚ if they don’t secure the loan before the end of the month Remgro and Investec could come knocking for their assets. Markets also received a boost from positive news on the Covid-19 front, Ever since 1995, many of ‘the best’ have been slighted by government as they happened to be the wrong colour, Gauteng premier David Makhura axed the MEC after an SIU report recommended that the premier take administrative action against Masuku, Union federation that is in alliance with governing party shunned its NEC lekgotla, Exxaro is still not quite there with its exit from Vedanta's Black Mountain zinc assets in SA as sale to IDC drags on. Industry pumps cash and dividends despite a tough lockdown, raising the prospect of more mergers, says PwC, The World Food Programme has won the prize for its efforts to combat hunger and improve conditions for peace in areas affected by conflict, Teenager becomes the youngest player in nearly 20 years and first Polish woman to reach French Open finals, Donald Trump dominates headlines again, SA unions hold a nationwide strike over issues including corruption and job losses, and clashes erupt in Indonesia. Every single one of these coaches has extensive experience in the Western Province Rugby system. Even before Marais was elected president the WPRFU had little room to manoeuvre. As a viewer rightly commentated on one of the television broadcaster’s social media platforms: ‘An empty Newlands, is a sad Newlands.’ That it’s the last time the stadium will play host to the green and gold makes it all the sadder. A storm of a very different kind has been building in intensity in the shadow of Table Mountain and its full might may soon be unleashed.

Levy has been involved with Western Province Rugby for 12 years in various roles including coaching education and analysis, while Hlungwani has come through every level of the game, starting out as a player and working in club and university rugby before graduating to the professional structures. © 2020 Arena Holdings.

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All rights reserved. Western Province Rugby Union is the most successful rugby union in South Africa with 32 Currie Cup wins. You can't fault the Southern Kings detractors' honesty, the team's director of rugby Robbi Kempson quipped this week. “Our whole coaching team have come through the system here at Western Province Rugby and every one of them understands that the DHL Stormers is more than just a rugby team. Image: … We request that you do not edit, crop or alter the images in any way when re-using/re-posting the images to social media and where possible, please tag or credit the photographer and @runridedive. With the Western Province Rugby Union set to move to the Cape Town Stadium next year, this was the last-ever ‘Springbok’ match to be hosted at Newlands. Either way Newlands could fall into the hands of a third party but perhaps more alarmingly‚ should the deal on the table go south‚ Western Province‚ one of the country’s oldest unions‚ may cease to exist further down the line. Picture: GALLO IMAGES/BRENTON GEACH .
“The hard work for the 2020 season has already started and we are excited about the potential that we have as a group of coaches working with a world-class squad,” he said. That‚ of course‚ will have the deeply unpalatable but predictable effect of their team‚ which is laden with Rugby World Cup-winning stars‚ being dismantled as the players seek employment elsewhere. Perhaps‚ fittingly‚ the grand old stadium which they occupy is hemmed in by a road called ‘Boundary’ on one side and a railway line on the other. To be fair‚ even if he had a spotless record‚ it would have done little to stem the brickbats now heading his way. OPINION | A storm is building in intensity in the shadow of Table Mountain and its full might may soon be unleashed. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. WP over the weekend unveiled the former activist‚ premier and ambassador as the new man in the position after erstwhile chair Johan van der Merwe’s term expired. Newlands‚ the home of the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) for the last 130 years‚ will be vacated at the end of the season as the union makes the trek across town to Cape Town Stadium. They have for some time been engaged in a power struggle with the WP board‚ the body that is appointed by the executive committee of the union. Western Province Rugby, Cape Town, South Africa. In fact‚ if there is something to be learnt from the current Covid-19 pandemic it is that money only comes into the rugby economy when professional teams play. Laker, Snyman, Levy and Jappie have previously worked alongside Dobson in the DHL Western Province Currie Cup and SuperSport Rugby Challenge Cup teams. The coaching team that will work alongside DHL Stormers Head Coach John Dobson in the 2020 Vodacom Super Rugby season has been confirmed. Whether similar skills are generously spread across the length of breadth of the clubs in the union are highly unlikely. Ebrahim Rasool’s appointment as chair of Western Province (WP) Rugby’s board of directors is likely to deepen divisions in an already fractured union. Read more at the SA government's online coronavirus portal or use the 24-hour public hotline: 0800 029 999. Athletics SA sets date for 2021 Comrades Marathon.