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Boland coach feeds his players
09/05/2007 22:11 - (SA)
Stephen Nell, Die Burger
Cape Town - Boland coach Hawies Fourie has ensured that his troops will march on a full stomach when they play the Pumas in a crucial rugby match in Witbank on Friday.
The teams are competing for the right to play in the Currie Cup Premier League this season.
The Boland players have not been paid their salaries for April and some of them are battling to put food on the table.
Die Burger has been told that Fourie paid R2 000 out of his own pocket to help four of the players. The Wellington branch of Spar has provided R1 000 in vouchers.
Representatives of the South African Rugby Players (Sarpa) were scheduled to hand out R50 000 among 32 Boland players on Wednesday.
There have been differences of opinion in the squad about whether the players should turn out in the first of two promotion fixtures on Friday. The second leg will be played at Wellington next Saturday.
The winners will be determined by means of the usual league points system and will compete in the Currie Cup Premier League this year.
Working under difficult circumstances
"We felt it would be the correct thing to do (to play on Friday)," said Fourie on Wednesday. "It is in the interest of every player to grab this opportunity."
The coach admitted that they had been working under "very difficult circumstances".
"We were unable to prepare well during the past three weeks. Emotions were running high," he said.
Injuries are also making matters worse and scrumhalf Neil Papier may have to play at flyhalf. Jacques Schutte has a groin injury and Jacques Badenhorst has back problems.
The Witbank match will be televised live on SuperSport 7 on DStv from 19:00, so the players will have an opportunity to show off their talents.
"I am an eternal optimist," said Fourie on Wednesday. "There are guys with guts in the team. I believe in them."
The Pumas also have problems. Their influential captain, Marc de Marigny, is still injured.
The home team will be the favourites, but their coach, Chester Williams, is wary of Boland.
"I believe they have trained hard," he said on Wednesday. "Their players will be out to prove a point to ensure they are offered contracts to play for other unions."
Liam del Carme reports from Johannesburg that SA Rugby will try to keep provincial unions out of turbulent financial waters in future.
Want to make positive contribution
SA Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins says SA Rugby will ascertain what the financial situation of the unions is and will try to intervene before major losses become unavoidable.
"We want to determine where we can make a positive contribution," Hoskins said on Wednesday.
The teams for the Witbank match: Pumas: Riaan Smit, Ruan Lambrecht, Christiaan Els, Adriaan Oberholzer, Jovan Botha, Arno Coetzee, Jacques Coetzee, Jonathan van der Schyff, Stefan Gerber, Corné Steenkamp, Ruahan van Jaarsveld, Martyn Lombard, Ross Geldenhuys, Ashton Constant, Rassie van Vuuren.
Boland: Ranfred Dazell, John Daniels, Piet van Zyl, Hennie Daniller, Jongi Nokwe, Neil Papier, Tewis de Bruin, Francois Prinsloo, Henley du Plessis, Zolani Mofu, Piet Myburgh, David de Villiers, Andries Human, Conrad Burke (c), Janru van Niekerk.
Substitutes: Pieter Wium, Boela du Preez, Coenie Basson, Angelo Brinkhuys, Dewald Duvenhage, Lionel Cornelius, Alshaun Bock.
- Die Burger
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