A gruelling phase of physical conditioning will ensure EP’s Elephants are ready to stampede out of the starting blocks when the SA Cup kicks off in 2025, coach Allister “Toetie” Coetzee says.
The newly appointed mentor said because EP were not full-time professionals there were extra challenges when attempting to get players to reach peak fitness levels.
He said First Division teams also faced budgetary constraints, which gave Currie Cup Premier Division sides an advantage when it came to contracting players.
EP’s acting president, George Malgas, said Coetzee had been given a three-year contract with a view to it being extended.
“It is all systems go and we are on the right track with our planning,” Coetzee said.
“I will be back in Gqeberha next week and I will be in the office and preparations will start in all earnest.
“I am working already, and next week we will get the official start with the whole squad.
“The people are so keen to get things going and I have already spoken to a few players to hear where they are in terms of their preparation.
“So this is the preseason period and it should have started in mid-October, but EP still have time.
“I have experienced this when I was with the Namibia team as well.
“Because the players are not full-time professionals it is very challenging to work and also have a proper conditioning phase.
“But we will have to get that right because conditioning is everything.
“This phase is so crucial to be able to stop teams like the Falcons with their big pack of forwards and Boland with their huge budget.”
Coetzee said Currie Cup Premier Division teams had a big advantage over First Division sides because of their bigger budgets.
The Elephants have already lost three key players and others are considering tempting offers from rival unions ahead of the new season.
Sources close to the EP camp said lock Lungisile Mbiko, loose forward Gerrit Huisamen and utility back Xolela Payi had been lured away from Gqeberha in recent weeks.
Payi has signed a contract to play for the Falcons, Mbiko is on his way to the Griffons and Huisamen has decided to pursue his career in Ireland.
“If you want to get into the Currie Cup, it’s not only on-the-field performance but off-the-field matters that count,” Coetzee said.
Premier Division teams can sign players for 12 months, while EP only have a budget for eight months.
“So this is our fragile period because one or two of our top players will be taken because they are out of contract now.
“They will be taken by unions who can offer 12-month contracts, compared to our eight-month contracts,” he said.
“So when you are in the Currie Cup you have an advantage over the First Division teams because their budgets are bigger and they can offer longer contracts.
“These are the things we need to put in place with the help of the business community out there.
“This is important because it is not just our EP.
“The team belongs to the whole of Gqeberha who can benefit in due course when we have this winning team going.
“It is therefore important to invest in building a winning team.
“I saw how EP played last season and they reached a First Division final and they played excellently.”
HeraldLIVE
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