ONE of the oldest clubs in Namibian rugby, United Rugby, has been suspended until 2007 by the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) after United players declined to make themselves available for national duty because of an ongoing dispute over unpaid player expenses and fees.
United, whose players made up 40 per cent of the Africa Cup-winning squad last year, have vowed to appeal what they allege is “arbitrary and illegal action” by the NRU’s executive management committee (Exco), led by its President, Dirk Conradie. The NRU Exco claimed that the players refused their services for racist reasons, but several players from other clubs have also refused to do national duty.United said 40 per cent of their club members were players of colour.Yesterday, a defiant Conradie charged that United knew they were in the wrong.”They can say what they want, they can go to the Namibia Sport Commission and appeal if they want to do so.Everybody’s owed money, included myself,” Conradie said.He confirmed that the NRU was essentially broke “and that everyone knows this”.He said he and Exco member Frik Jordaan were basically carrying all the expenses for the NRU.The United Club was to appear at a disciplinary hearing, held late on the Thursday afternoon before the long weekend in August, for allegedly refusing to release players for national duty.In a letter sent to the NRU Acting CEO Eden Meyer the day before, lawyer Chris Roets on behalf of United said the players had not been granted an opportunity to respond to the charges.The players had informed United that they did not wish to play for the national side because of “mismanagement, breach of contract and an inability and/or unwillingness (by the NRU Exco) to address grievances of players”, Roets wrote to Meyer.In effect, the NRU expected United to do its (the NRU’s) work for them to nominate players and the charge against United was therefore “…vague and embarrassing in the extreme and discloses no transgression”.United intended challenging the legality of the disciplinary hearing, and questioned whether a quorum of officials was present for the hearing, their management committee said.The NRU move came after a group of players, led by the national side’s captain Corné Powell, in August last year pressed the NRU to honour its financial commitments to players in respect of outstanding expenses and allowances.In a letter dated August 4 2004 and addressed to the Namibia Rugby Players’ Committee, Conradie committed to paying all outstanding expenses before August 13.The NRU was also to pay all players N$2 000 for three games (against South Africa A, Orange Free State and the Lions) by the same date.No such money was paid.The NRU also undertook in the same letter to pay N$1 000 for last year’s match against Zambia, as well as N$1 500 for the other three games of the African Cup.The NRU also undertook to pay a performance bonus (Namibia beat Morocco 39-22 in the final), but players said they only received N$1 000 for the first game.No payment was made for either the semi or final, and no bonus was ever paid to the players, they said.The dispute was then referred to “urgent” arbitration, but no such arbitration ever took place.Instead, in a SMS sent by Conradie on November 15 to various players and managers, he unilaterally dismissed the players’ association as a “rebel movement”, saying that as from that date, he did “not recognise any player in the national team, including the total team management.”Despite receiving 80 000 British Pounds a year from the International Rugby Board (IRB) since 2003 for developing the game locally, fewer clubs are now active than before.* John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587The NRU Exco claimed that the players refused their services for racist reasons, but several players from other clubs have also refused to do national duty.United said 40 per cent of their club members were players of colour.Yesterday, a defiant Conradie charged that United knew they were in the wrong.”They can say what they want, they can go to the Namibia Sport Commission and appeal if they want to do so.Everybody’s owed money, included myself,” Conradie said.He confirmed that the NRU was essentially broke “and that everyone knows this”.He said he and Exco member Frik Jordaan were basically carrying all the expenses for the NRU.The United Club was to appear at a disciplinary hearing, held late on the Thursday afternoon before the long weekend in August, for allegedly refusing to release players for national duty.In a letter sent to the NRU Acting CEO Eden Meyer the day before, lawyer Chris Roets on behalf of United said the players had not been granted an opportunity to respond to the charges.The players had informed United that they did not wish to play for the national side because of “mismanagement, breach of contract and an inability and/or unwillingness (by the NRU Exco) to address grievances of players”, Roets wrote to Meyer.In effect, the NRU expected United to do its (the NRU’s) work for them to nominate players and the charge against United was therefore “…vague and embarrassing in the extreme and discloses no transgression”.United intended challenging the legality of the disciplinary hearing, and questioned whether a quorum of officials was present for the hearing, their management committee said.The NRU move came after a group of players, led by the national side’s captain Corné Powell, in August last year pressed the NRU to honour its financial commitments to players in respect of outstanding expenses and allowances.In a letter dated August 4 2004 and addressed to the Namibia Rugby Players’ Committee, Conradie committed to paying all outstanding expenses before August 13.The NRU was also to pay all players N$2 000 for three games (against South Africa A, Orange Free State and the Lions) by the same date.No such money was paid.The NRU also undertook in the same letter to pay N$1 000 for last year’s match against Zambia, as well as N$1 500 for the other three games of the African Cup.The NRU also undertook to pay a performance bonus (Namibia beat Morocco 39-22 in the final), but players said they only received N$1 000 for the first game.No payment was made for either the semi or final, and no bonus was ever paid to the players, they said.The dispute was then referred to “urgent” arbitration, but no such arbitration ever took place.Instead, in a SMS sent by Conradie on November 15 to various players and managers, he unilaterally dismissed the players’ association as a “rebel movement”, saying that as from that date, he did “not recognise any player in the national team, including the total team management.”Despite receiving 80 000 British Pounds a year from the International Rugby Board (IRB) since 2003 for developing the game locally, fewer clubs are now active than before.* John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587
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