Players firing with both barrels at Cheeky

Having failed to meet the deadline, this past Sunday (January 31), to pay the ZAR5-million agreement – reached with a group of players last week – the selfsame 18-man player group joined the liquidation application already in progress in Port Elizabeth.

Last week MyPlayers and the South African Rugby Players' Association brought a liquidation application against EP Rugby (Pty) Ltd – the professional arm of the EPRU – on behalf of a group of players.

Now lawyer Craig Jessop, who is representing another group of 18 players who did not get Super Rugby contracts from the South African Rugby Union, confirmed they would jump on the MyPlayers/SARPA bandwagon.

That means 30-odd players are now part of the liquidation application against Watson's EP Rugby.

"Given non-payment and notwithstanding further promises of payment, my clients are at the end of their tether and have elected to intervene as a co-applicant in the liquidation proceedings pending before the Port Elizabeth high court," Jessop said in a statement issued to rugby365.

He confirmed that the hearing will take on March 10 in the PE high court.

This is just the latest in a wave of attacks on the EPRU President, Watson, in recent weeks – the result of the cash crisis at a bankrupt union that has not paid players and staff their salaries since September last year.

It forced SARU to step in and take control of the Super Rugby franchise, the Southern Kings, to ensure they field a team in Port Elizabeth and avoid legal action by SANZAAR.

However, they are not entirely out the woods yet.

Jessop, in an interview with rugby365 last week, confirmed that should he not get relief from the liquidation process against EP Rugby, he would consider going after SARU's Super Rugby franchise.

No doubt that at the March 10 court appearance the financial affairs of EP Rugby will be placed under the spotlight.

The EPRU clubs would like nothing better, given that they failed to achieve that at a tempestuous and spiteful annual general meeting in PE at the weekend.

Scuffles erupted between EPRU security staff and club officials, with racial slurs hurled around.

There is a special general meeting scheduled for the end of February, but if the clubs fail to get the desired result, the court case should shed some light on the matter.

The application for liquidation brought against EP Rugby (Pty) Ltd by the South African Rugby Players Association (SARPA) on 28 January 2016 was heard in the High Court of Port Elizabeth on Tuesday, 2 February 2016.

EP Rugby (Pty) Ltd indicated through their legal counsel that they would oppose the matter. Furthermore it was agreed that the company would be allowed the necessary time to file its opposing documentation.

The matter is set to be heard on 10 March 2016.

"The group of creditors who had previously settled with EP Rugby (Pty) Ltd are now considering their legal options and it is expected that they would join and support the application for liquidation brought by SARPA", said Eugene Henning Managing Director of MyPlayers.

The full statement by Craig Jessop: "EP Rugby was obligated by way of Arbitration Award to pay to my clients the amount of ZAR5-million for and in  respect of arrear salaries by 31 January 2016.

"EP Rugby failed to make that payment and in terms of the Award the damages payments due to my clients have now been accelerated and as such the amount now due and payable to my clients in terms of the Arbitration Award is a total of ZAR12-million.

"Given non-payment and notwithstanding further promises of payment, my clients are at the end of their tether and have elected to intervene as a Co-Applicant in the Liquidation proceedings pending before the Port Elizabeth High Court.

"Eastern Province Rugby opposed the Application for Liquidation launched by SARPA [MyPlayers] and all parties have been given the opportunity to exchange papers in relation to the Liquidation Application.

"The argument as to Liquidation has been boxed into the 10th of March 2016 in the Port Elizabeth High Court.

"Should EP Rugby be Liquidated by way of Order of Court, then those processes will take care of themselves.

"My clients thus reserve the right to interrogate the financial affairs of EP Rugby and the rights to Super Rugby."

By Jan de Koning

@King365ed

@rugby365com