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Southern Kings administration at loggerheads over what to do with board member Bantwini Matika
Southern Kings board member Bantwini Matika was not afraid to speak his mind last month, reacting furiously to the development that former Springbok coach Nick Mallett would have a role in selecting the Kings new head coach.
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The Kings have been without a head coach since they parted ways with Deon Davids and a number of high profile figures, such as Jake White, have been linked with the role.
Matika took to social media to express his unhappiness that Mallett would be involved in the process, calling the 62-year-old a “racist” and that he would “never support our transformation agenda”. Hde also alluded to what he claimed was “institutional racism in rugby” in his expletive-laden outburst.
The Kings, who are majority owned by The Greatest Rugby Company in the Whole Wide World, are now at an impasse over the controversy, with majority shareholders wanting Matika removed from the board and the Eastern Province Rugby Union (EPRU) declining to dismiss him. Matika also serves as the deputy president of the EPRU, further complicating the situation.
Kings chairperson Loyiso Dotwana issued a statement on Monday that read: “We called upon our partners and minority shareholders, the EP Rugby Union, to urgently deal with the unacceptable and destructive behaviour of its nominee to the Southern Kings board, Mr Bantwini Matika.
“I am making sure that when he gets a white voice in the left ear he must get a black voice on the right." https://t.co/z9LtnHIeci
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 29, 2019
“His actions over the past few days have brought the franchise’s name and company reputation into disrepute. We strongly disagree with the inflammatory, inaccurate and unsubstantiated statements expressed by Mr Matika.
“On Thursday of last week, the Greatest Rugby Company in the Whole Wide World (Pty) Ltd (GRC), the majority shareholder in the Southern Kings, sent a letter to the president of the EPRU requesting that they recall Mr Bantwini Matika from the board. The EPRU have declined that request.
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“As this is a shareholder and not a board matter, the GRC has now called for a shareholders meeting and notice of such meeting will be issued Tuesday. The only item on the agenda will be Mr Matika’s continued directorship on the board of the franchise. As this is an EPRU issue we look forward to them playing a constructive role in resolving this matter.
“As we have stated from the start we are aiming to build a sustainable and professional team which can compete at an international level. We are playing against some of the best professional clubs in the world and need to significantly up our game to ensure that we are formidable competitors who play quality rugby.
“We took over a struggling organisation and are now working to turn this around so that we can develop a strong rugby team which this region can be proud of. We are operating the franchise in line with key business principles and are currently making good progress in appointing the right people into the right roles.
“Whilst we are doing everything possible to source the best available talent to strengthen the core base of the team, we are also balancing this up with high potential players within the current team and also other players yet to be recruited.
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? STATEMENT?
Statement by ISUZU Southern Kings Chairman, Loyiso Dotwana.
"We strongly disagree with the inflammatory, inaccurate and unsubstantiated statements expressed by Mr Matika."
Read more: https://t.co/mE7cSjkoOW pic.twitter.com/N0rGohmVQF— Southern Kings (@SouthernKingsSA) July 1, 2019
“We are exceptionally proud to be the first black owned and controlled rugby franchise in the country. The Eastern Cape is the home of black rugby and as such we remain fully committed to supporting the transformation of rugby. This is a journey we have embarked upon and we are dedicated to achieving our goals.
“Our team has been training since June and our anticipation is that the team will be well prepared by the time the PRO14 season resumes in September. Furthermore, in the coming weeks, we will be in a position to announce the full complement of coaching staff and contracted players.”
The Kings finished bottom of Conference B in the Guinness PRO14 last season, with just two wins from their 21 games. Now, despite new ownership, investment and more financial muscle to recruit players, this off-field controversy has marred what looked to be a positive off-season for the South African side.
WATCH: Episode three of RugbyPass Rugby Explorer series sees Jim Hamilton take a trek through South African rugby
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments