Anger, frustration and disappointment are the emotions emanating from the Roodepoort Rugby Club.
This comes after the club lost the rights to host a Currie Cup match featuring the Xerox Golden Lions XV.
According to the Golden Lions Rugby Union, the match between the Lions and SWD Eagles has been moved to the Alberton Rugby Club because of safety concerns.
The field that was to be used on match day was flagged as being inadequate to host a provincial level match. This left little time for the Roodepoort Rugby Club to rectify the issue and the club’s president, Neels van Aswegen said if they were notified on time they would have made sure the field met the provincial standard.
“The Lions inspection team had been to the club numerous times and we had always received positive feedback. Although the individual in charge was never at our meetings, things always went smoothly. We were assured the union would help us resolve the concerns they had about the field,” he said.
However, last week Friday things changed. The final inspection team arrived and declared its dissatisfaction with the state of the field. According to Van Aswegen, the inspection team was concerned that the state of the field could cause serious injuries to players, and that this could result in lawsuits.
“If we had been told this a month ago in one of the earlier inspection meetings, we would have worked harder to ensure the field was up to standard, no matter the cost. We promised the community a game and we wanted to deliver it. Our players use this field every week, and no serious injuries have resulted,” he said.
However, the Roodepoort community has been assured that although the match between the Lions and Eagles has been moved, the day will still continue. The main feature game will be a second-round match in the Pirates Grand Challenge, and will see Roodepoort Rugby Club’s first team take on their contemporaries from the Alberton Rugby Club.
“This was supposed to be a full day festival of rugby. We are committed to bringing rugby to the community. Although we cannot deliver the big game, we can still assure the community we will provide the best entertainment on the day. Nothing changes, barring the one match. The caterers and various stalls will still be here, as will the music, the fun and games for the kids and the entertainment for everyone,” said Van Aswegen.
The day will start with Welpie Rugby at 8am, and will be followed by a high schools’ rugby tournament. The Roodepoort Rugby Club’s junior teams, namely the second, third and U/20 teams, will take on their counterparts from the Alberton Rugby Club. There will be various stalls as well as jumping castles and other fun things for the children. Entertainment will be provided by the Randburg Mannekoor and Hoërskool Roodepoort’s drummies team.
Anyone wanting a refund on tickets already purchased can contact Neels van Aswegen on 073 125 6598.
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