Rugby clash at ‘Die Hok’ called off over gang concerns

EP rugby was thrown into turmoil when Saturday’s crunch top-of-the-table club clash between Gardens and Harlequins in Kariega was postponed at the last minute after safety concerns were expressed regarding gang activity.

The match had been scheduled to be played at the Derrick Ferreira Stadium (popularly known as the “Die Hok”) but was called off by concerned EP Rugby bosses after police reported a credible threat of gang activity.

Because the game was only postponed late on Saturday morning, confused supporters arriving at the venue were surprised to hear the EPRU Grand Challenge Top 12 clash had been called off.

“Die Hok” was in the headlines in June after a crowd invasion, which resulted in a club rugby match between Gardens and Progress being abandoned.

Apart from the on-field mayhem, a shooting took place behind the pavilion a while after the game was called off when an assailant reportedly jumped a fence and opened fire on a fan.

The police later confirmed that Morne Matill, 48, had been fatally shot in the neck and chest.

On Friday, police informed EP, Gardens and Harlequins that a credible threat of gang activity had been planned for Saturday’s game.

EP Rugby president George Malgas said it had been decided to postpone the game after a general council meeting on Saturday morning.

“It was unanimously decided the threat was way too big and that it could not be ignored, and let us just call the game off,” he said.

“After what happened on June 21, we cannot take chances.

“Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, the game was called off, and we will meet this week to discuss how we are going to move forward.”

Gardens vice-president Royden Johnson said he believed the late postponement was unfair, and his club issued a statement saying the decision was a total abuse of formal authority.

“We will discuss this with EP, and we think it is a bit unfair because the threat that was posed can happen when you go to church or a shopping mall,” he said.

“The cancellation of our scheduled match by EP Rugby was not just a fixture lost; it was a moment that showed just how disconnected our rugby leadership has become from the heart of grassroots rugby.

“With Gardens Rugby Club founded in 1932, our community has grown up with this game.

“We have supporters, many of them elderly, who still don’t follow social media or rely on smartphones for updates.

“Yesterday, some of them still came to the stadium, dressed in their green and red, only to find empty stands and a locked gate.”

Johnson said, even more heartbreaking were the children — some raised in extreme poverty — who came to the field with hope in their eyes, knowing they sometimes got in for free.

“One young boy could only ask: ‘Uncle, why doesn’t EP want us to play?’

“Rugby at club level has always been more than a sport — it’s a place of belonging, a safe space, a source of pride.

“Yesterday, that was taken away without warning. Two hours’ notice on social media is not communication — it’s exclusion,” he said.

“The EP Rugby Union’s decision to cancel the highly anticipated match between Gardens and Harlequins, citing ‘gang-related concerns’, is not only deeply disappointing but an outright abuse of formal authority.

“We fully understand the need for safety and have always prioritised the wellbeing of players, officials and supporters.

“However, to notify us only two hours before kickoff — after our community has sacrificed time, resources and effort to prepare — is unacceptable and a gross disregard for the people who make rugby possible.

“The reality is that gang-related concerns are part of the daily challenges our communities face.

“Whether we go to the shop, church or work, these threats exist.

“We do not shy away from addressing them — yet we continue to live, work and contribute to society despite them.

“To single out a rugby match, while other public gatherings and events proceed without interruption, raises serious questions about motive and fairness.

“We also note the glaring inconsistency.

“The very same executive who approved this cancellation faced a safety issue at a recent meeting — one widely covered in the media — and yet no such meeting was postponed or cancelled.

“This double standard is impossible to ignore.”

Malgas said he had been called to a meeting at the Kamesh police station on Friday.

“I attended the meeting with our general manager, Mzi Mpofu, and EP’s head of club affairs, Richard Jordaan,” he said.

“The police indicated they had received credible intelligence from their sources that some of the gang members who are associated with the clubs are planning to come and do what they need to do.

“The threat was that ‘we would go kill some of the guys we cannot get access to that will come through to the rugby’ and shoot and kill and do whatever they need to do.

“We had a long meeting, and at that point, it was not about postponing the game; it was just informing us of the threat.

“The police did indicate that if it was up to them, they would ask us to postpone the game.

“At that point, the delegations from both clubs did not have the authority to do so.

“I told them to go and talk to their clubs.

“We made a request to Gardens that if the game should proceed do not allow vehicles into the field because it is easy to hide a gun in a car and drive it in.

“We said just get pedestrians in and ensure there are physical searches of people entering the ground.

“At our general council meeting on Saturday morning, it was unanimously decided the threat was way too big and that it could not be ignored and let us just call the game off.”

Johnson confirmed that officials attended an emergency meeting between the police, EP Rugby, Gardens and Harlequins on Friday.

“They talked about some gangsterism threats that came through that were pertinent to the game,” he said.

“They just wanted us to put precautionary measures in place.

“One suggestion was that the cars be parked at a nearby school.

“But the club felt such a move would be unfair after the police said the gang unit would be there and we felt relatively in control.

“So we [Gardens] called an emergency meeting on Friday night to discuss matters, and we gave feedback to EP around a decision to continue.

“EP said they would meet on Saturday morning to give a verdict, and a decision to postpone the game was made.”

Police spokesperson Sandra Janse van Rensburg confirmed they had met the match organisers.

“The SA Police Service is actively involved in the planning and security co-ordination of all major events to ensure the implementation of appropriate safety measures.

“As part of our mandate, we are also responsible for communicating potential threats that may impact public safety.

“During consultations with the event organisers, SAPS provided a situational update, which included reference to a prior shooting incident following a similar event in the area.

“This information was shared as part of standard risk assessments to ensure all necessary precautions were considered.

“The Nelson Mandela Bay SAPS confirms that adequate personnel were deployed to manage safety and security during and after the scheduled event.

“However, SAPS was officially notified late yesterday [Saturday] that the event had been cancelled,” she said.

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