Hoskins and Div to hold talks

2008-09-11 22:26

Stephen Nell

Cape Town - Oregan Hoskins, president of the South African Rugby Union (Saru), will meet with Springbok coach Peter de Villiers in Durban on Friday to discuss the furore that has erupted around him in the past week.

SA Rugby's head of communications, Andy Colquhoun, confirmed on Thursday that an "informal" meeting will take place.

"It will be about matters relating to the allegations of blackmail and what flowed from them," said Colquhoun.

It was reported last weekend that De Villiers was being blackmailed with a "sex video". Saru and De Villiers have emphatically denied it.

De Villiers's controversial statement in a Sunday newspaper that he feels inclined to "walk away from this job and give it back to the whites" will be discussed with him.

The statement caused dismay in rugby circles.

It was briefly dicussed at a meeting of Saru's management committee on Thursday.

De Villiers was not present at the meeting, but it was decided that the matter has to be discussed with him.

Meanwhile Saru wants to make its strong opposition to racism known this weekend by having provincial players play with the slogan "No to racism" on their jerseys.

This follows the recent attack on a black female Springbok supporter in Johannesburg.

Hoskins also expressed concern on Thursday about the Soweto Rugby Club's withdrawal from the Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU) because of alleged racism. GLRU says the allegations are unfounded.

- Die Burger