Zeena Isaacs
19 November 2008
Johannesburg — CONTROVERSIAL Springbok flank Luke Watson has been let off the hook by the South African Rugby Union (Saru) following "shocking remarks" at a rugby festival at the University of Cape Town last month.
Saru confirmed late yesterday it had decided to drop the case against Watson after receiving legal advice.
Watson appeared before a disciplinary committee last week for breaching Saru's code of conduct after alleged remarks that he wanted to vomit on his Springbok jersey and that the biggest problem with South African rugby was that it was run by a group of "Dutchmen".
But Watson escaped the hearing on a technicality after the judicial officer, Nape Dolamo, withdrew himself from the case on the grounds that his appointment was not authorised by the relevant regulations.
Saru had the option to appeal against the decision or amend its regulations regarding the appointment of judicial officers.
But it opted yesterday to drop the case completely.
Saru, however, will amend its regulations to avoid similar problems in future.
Meanwhile, attempts by certain quarters within the government to scrap the Springbok emblem completely from the national rugby jersey went up in smoke yesterday when Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile approved Saru's decision to move the emblem to the right -hand side of the jersey, with the king protea -- SA's official national sports emblem -- on the left.
Saru president Oregan Hoskins and deputy president Mark Alexander met Stofile in Cape Town yesterday to discuss the issue.
Hoskins described the meeting as positive and said: "He explained that legislation requiring the national emblem to be worn on the left-hand side of the jersey of national sports federations will be promulgated by the end of this year. We informed him of the earlier decision of the president's council to fall in line with national legislation. The minister also advised us that the commercial emblem of national sporting federations -- in rugby's case the Springbok -- can be utilised as federations deem fit so long as that use does not compromise the national emblem."
Stofile shied away from mentioning the ownership of the Springbok trademark after experts confirmed the trademark belonged to Saru.
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