Nelson Mandela Bay councillors have urged the Eastern Province Rugby Union (EPRU) to seek funding from other municipalities instead of relying on the city, after it submitted its close-out report requesting an additional R6m.
EPRU general manager Mzowoxolo Mpofu presented the union’s report for the period 2021 to 2024 at a sport, recreation, arts and culture committee meeting on Thursday.
Mpofu told the committee that they managed to get 45,000 schoolchildren from 293 primary and high schools to participate in rugby as part of their development project.
“What is also important is that we are exploring the possibilities of centralising school fixtures.
“As things stand, the former Model C schools have set annual fixtures, but we want to start centralising the fixtures so that 70% of school fixtures are against other local schools so that we don’t leave schools in previously disadvantaged areas out,” Mpofu said.
“When it comes to the selection of representative teams, we struggle to find the talent that is located in those areas during the trial phases because of investment challenges, but talent is there.
“Some of the issues we experience are talent retention based on competitiveness when it comes to making counter offers or giving competitive salaries to staff and players.”
ANC councillor Sicelo Mleve said EPRU operated in three districts, which had 10 municipalities, but they did not know how they contributed towards the union.
The Eastern Cape has two SA Rugby affiliates, the Eastern Province Rugby Union and the Border Rugby Union. They run their affairs independently.
“We acknowledge that you manage to get 45,000 children into rugby, but I’m not sure if you managed to cover the metro in its entirety.
“We have about two-million people alone, and if this 45,000 includes other municipalities, it means that this is a small number in terms of participation, especially in our metro.
“What is the other municipalities’ contribution to the union? Or do you only seek funding from this metro?
Sport, recreation, arts and culture political head Sinebhongo Kwatsha asked how far the union had progressed in approaching other municipalities for financial support.
“In our previous meeting, you informed me that you were in the process of engaging them and I would like to hear the update because I understand that it’s not just players from the city that you cater for, but you only request funding from us.”
EPRU deputy president Mbulelo Gidane said in response that the union’s area of jurisdiction only covered a section of the province, which made it difficult for them to get funding across the province.
“There’s one municipality that contributed R300,000, others which we’ve requested assistance from are still not coming to the fore, but fortunately, we are busy with a programme where we are trying to get them to come on board.
“Without this directorate, the union is doomed, without it there’s no rugby.”
The close-out report was noted.
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