SA Rugby hits back at disgruntled WP clubs: 'Erroneous, misleading, needlessly distracting'

Rugby governing body SA Rugby has hit back at the protesting Western Province-affiliated clubs by releasing an explosive statement saying that their claims were "erroneous, misleading, and needlessly distracting".

In the statement released on Thursday, SA Rugby also revealed a timeline of events that took place from 2019, which forced them into placing Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) under administration in October 2021.

Around 11 clubs broke away from a meeting held by WP administrator Rian Oberholzer in September last year and a protest has been organised against SA Rugby's administration. The protest is set to take place at 12:30 on Saturday, two hours before the Stormers host the Sharks at Newlands in the United Rugby Championship.

READ | Rian Oberholzer confirms SA Rugby approach to act as CEO following Jurie Roux exit

The clubs also threatened legal action against SA Rugby should their demands not be met. These include the "suspension of financial decisions" and "an immediate investigation into who decided on inviting the Israeli club (Tel Aviv Heat) to play in our tournaments".

"It is felt necessary to do so at this time to remind the public of the calamitous sequence of actions and inactions by the former executive that led to the WPRFU being reluctantly taken into administration," said the SA Rugby in the "open letter".

"The remit of the administrator was to return the WPRFU to financial stability while untangling the legal complications of the myriad of putative property deals that the former administration contemplated.

"The claims now being made by individuals - some of whom were part of the executive which traded the entity to the brink of bankruptcy and now wish to reclaim control - are erroneous,