Saru orders Cooke to back off – or else

[caption id="attachment_160244" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Former Eastern Province Kings rugby captain Ronnie Cooke has been warned by the SA Rugby Union (Saru) to back down. Picture: Supplied[/caption]

Former EP Kings rugby captain Ronnie Cooke has been warned by the South African Rugby Union (Saru) to back down – or else.

Cooke, 32, of Lovemore Heights, who played centre for the beleaguered EP Kings until last season, confirmed that he had received a lawyer’s letter from Saru asking him to withdraw allegations of fraud against two of its executive members, or face possible litigation.

The letter sent to Cooke last week by lawyer David Becker claims the allegations he made against Saru chief executive Jurie Roux and executive council member Monde Tabata were factually incorrect, intentionally malicious and of an egregious nature.

“The statements are undoubtedly defamatory of our clients and are, unsurprisingly, viewed in a very serious light,” Becker wrote.

Cooke was given 48 hours in which to withdraw his preliminary statement made to the specialised commercial crime unit in Port Elizabeth, or else they would pursue a claim of defamation.

In a statement last night, Cooke said: “There has been considerable speculation relating to the content of a document dated June 28 and penned by myself.