Tough times for rugby
It has been a difficult time for rugby clubs in the Valke Peregrine League as the start of the season has been postponed after Benoni was forced to play in a lower league.
It has been a difficult time for rugby clubs in the Valke Peregrine League as the start of the season has been postponed after Benoni was forced to play in a lower league.
Benoni has struggled to get enough players to put through the required three teams (first, second and U21 teams).
There have also been rumours that East Rand United is also having similar problems.
The Reiger Park-based club is due to face Brakpan at the Bosman Stadium in the season opener on April 22.
“It’s been quiet with Benoni withdrawing and hearing that East Rand United has a bit of a problem. It’s been a really slow start to the season,” said Brakpan’s chairperson Harry Nieuwenhuis.
“But we’ve been training.”
Most clubs in the league have not had much action.
Brakpan, however, are pleased that they will get the much-needed game time in the Bulls Easter Tournament in Pretoria this weekend.
They will have three matches at the event.
“It will be tough but I think we need that,” said the chairperson.
Nieuwenhuis hopes that the league will kick off on April 22.
“We are going to have a situation where every weekend you’ll have two teams with byes which is terrible. But it’s the way it is. It will go like that for a while but that’s what we’ll have to deal with,” he said.
If East Rand United fails to put together teams that can compete then the league will be left with just five clubs namely Brakpan, Springs, Boksburg, Vereeniging and North-West University (NWU).
The impact of a shortened league will be felt by the clubs financially. Without regular match day income from the gate and the bar, clubs are bound to feel the pinch.
“How do you keep the stadium going? You know we have our budgets. If we don’t make money at the gate and the pubs. That’s a big problem for most of the clubs. If you don’t have a home game every second weekend then you don’t make any money,” said the concerned chairperson.
“But we try to keep it positive. Everyone is still training. This weekend will be good for the guys. It’s difficult to play three games over four days but it’s something we need to keep the guys going.”
Nieuwenhuis did say that he is hopeful that East Rand United will be able to make it for their fixture in a fortnight.
“I spoke to their chairperson and he told me that they are ready to go. But if their teams take big scores against them then it’s not going to take long before they get moved to the lower leagues,” he said.
