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Fidentia: BRU must pay players
02/04/2007 22:10 - (SA)
Eunice Visagie, Die Burger
Cape Town - The South African Rugby Players Association (Sarpa) has won the battle, but the war has only just begun in all earnest.
Sarpa has won the case against the Boland Rugby Union in the labour court with costs.
According to Sarpa CEO Piet Heymans the case ended at 16:00 on Saturday.
After its sponsor Fidentia was placed under curatorship on February 1, Boland refused to pay players their salaries.
The union argued that it was not liable for the players' contracts.
Of the 56 contracted players, more than 20 were sacked and the rest were offered considerably lower salaries.
These amended contracts did not, however, comply with standard requirements.
Following those developments Sarpa turned to the labour court.
Judge Deon Nel ruled that the BRU is definitely the employer of all the contracted rugby players in that union and therefore liable for those players' salaries.
This ruling means that Boland may not sack any player or alter the original contracts in any way.
Damages have to be paid
"This is a great victory for the players. The ruling confirms once again that unions have to deal with players as any employer would deal with its employees," said Heymans.
Heymans said the hard work was only just about to begin.
"Of course we will now want to determine how it was decided which players would get new contracts. And then we also need to talk about what to do with the redundant players.
"If only certain players can get contracts, damages have to be paid to the others.
"The agreements of those that do get new contracts will have to comply with a standard players' contract.
"It is clear that much hard work faces us all. I think Boland is still busy coming to terms with the ruling.
"We hope to hear from them very soon.
"Hopefully we can start discussions as early as this week," Heymans said.
Boland CEO Piet Bergh would not comment on the ruling on Monday.
Bergh said they were in the process of studying the ruling in detail.
Sarpa has informed players of the latest developments by sms or e-mail.
A meeting is being planned for later this week to furnish players with more details.
Meanwhile the Boland Cavaliers are still in the running for a berth in the
quarter-finals of the Vodacom Cup series. They play Eastern Province at Wellington on 14 April.
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Rugby
