A story that broke in the Eastern Province news last week related to the Meyer Sauerman Tournament and controversial R200 per player participation fees.
You are forgiven for believing that Meyer Sauerman formed part of the EP youth week trials process. As part of the dialogue surrounding this topic it was revealed that it does not.
Die Son newspaper published the following email screenshot which clearly suggests that players taking part in the annual EP Meyer Sauerman tournament have to pay R200 to “cover all costs associated with the trial process from round one up and up to the Meyer Sauerman Tournament”
This resulted in the EPRU president Andre Rademan requesting a report from the EP High Schools Rugby committee about the R200 charge for trials. He went on to say that it was not true that EPRU itself tried to get money from the schoolboy rugby players and that it was a EP High School Rugby committee matter.
The High School committee chairman Willem October who was also at the centre of an EP Craven Week scandal a few years ago (read here: EP Craven Week official might land in hot water), basically said that no player was asked to pay for trials, that trials were concluded weeks before the Meyer Sauerman tournament and that the R200 was to cover the costs of the Meyer Sauerman tournament held at Framesby High School.
Obviously the wording of the email sent out contradicts this statement.
Interestingly October also stated that it was not true that if players did not participate in the Meyer Sauerman, they would not be considered for the EP Craven Week team.
@Wyvern: i think the EPCD team of last year were also stronger, EP should count themselves lucky that the CD teams were scratched…
@Playa: lol
Also on a serious note – I was told the EP Craven Week side is the best of the whole province i.e. including country districts since there are SAC boys included. If it were still split i think the EPCD team would’ve probably beaten the EP team
@Wyvern: For Zero Rand in my day, a derby out at Kingswood got you a 4 star hostel lunch, a giggle with a girl, and a tracksuit top borrowed from a neglected KC kitbag
On a serious note – there seems to be a lot of these kinds of stories floating around. Sadly the most are from the EC unions. Is there any part that SARU can play in addressing these? Or is it a matter of lack of private funding/sponsorship? Though no one can blame any business worth their salt from investing in our unions. There is clearly some serious level of incompetency in administration at these unions – and the fact that this is not something new, and continues to happen makes it even more worrying.
Hy praat deur sy neus, enige persoon wat al deur die OP se proses is sal kan se dat geen spanne bekend gemaak word voor meyer sauerman nie, dit is die finale proewe en jy sal nie in n OP span wees as jy dit nie bywoon nie, tensy jy spesiaal verskoning gemaak het , en dan moet jy pretty special wees ook,
Maybe we should also ask Framesby what exactly these costs were for?
Assuming the players/schools paid for transport, R200 sounds like a bit much for Energade and oranges???