Coetzee hits bull’s-eye with call for EP rugby cash injection

EP coach Allister Coetzee hit the bull’s-eye with his assessment that big money is needed to transform the Elephants into a powerhouse outfit capable of winning promotion to the top flight of SA rugby.

The well-travelled former Springbok coach knows better than most that professional rugby revolves around having the buying power needed to assemble high-profile players.

There is little chance of hitting the heights with a squad operating on a semi-professional basis, which is the case with the current EP side.

To achieve their goals, EP need a backer with deep pockets and a clever recruitment strategy to bring in key players who will give the Elephants a cutting edge.

Coetzee has made it clear that while he fully backs the players he has at his disposal and is seeing growth in their game, there is a need to import high-profile players to add value in key positions.

Coetzee was spot on when he expressed the view that unless big money is spent on signing top-class players, it would be difficult to turn things around at EP in the immediate future.

EP are enduring a difficult season in the SA Cup, having lost all four matches so far. They are languishing second from bottom on the 10-team log.

Their latest setback came on Saturday when they were thrashed 52-19 by the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

Unless EP embark on a winning spree and topple some of the more fancied teams, it is unlikely the Elephants will achieve their dream of winning Currie Cup Premier Division promotion in 2026.

There have been many promises from EP rugby officials in recent times that the union is on the verge of signing an equity deal which would catapult the team into the professional era.

That mythical pot of gold, however, has never materialised, and the Elephants continue to operate on a semi-professional basis.

Without a cash-flush equity partner, it will be difficult for EP to escape from the relative obscurity of operating in rugby’s lower tiers.