EP Youth Week descends into political interference nightmare

The major talking point should have been that Eastern Province somehow ratified a Boys’ u18 Craven Week squad that did not meet the prescribed transformation target, with the final team consisting of an 11:12 person-of-colour-to-white split rather than the required 12:11 ratio.

However, the issues surrounding the province’s Youth Week selections run far deeper.

It has emerged that players were added to various squads by the Eastern Province Rugby Union after selectors had already submitted their final teams. The squads ultimately released differed from those originally selected.

Ironically, four of the players who were reportedly inserted into the squads comes from a different region of the province — Robert Sobukwe (Graaff-Reinet), Kariega (Uitenhage), Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Tsitsikamma.

The additions follow suggestions of significant pressure being placed on the EPRU president at the union’s Annual General Meeting to ensure greater representation of “underprivileged” players within the provincial teams. From there politics took over.

The controversy does not end there.

In correspondence sent by the chairman of the Eastern Province High Schools Rugby Association to the president of the union, concerns were raised regarding alterations made to the Boys’ u16 Grant Khomo Week squad. The changes allegedly resulted in highly-rated players being omitted from the final team and replaced by players who did not feature in the final trials after failing to secure the backing of the selectors.

The fallout has extended beyond the players themselves.

In what many will view as a commendable moral stand, members of the coaching staff associated with the affected u16 Youth Week teams have indicated their willingness to step down should the matter remain unresolved and the selection changes continue without adequate justification.

What should have been a celebration of EP’s brightest young rugby talent has instead become a saga dominated by allegations of political interference, selection manipulation and now growing divisions between the union and its rugby structures.