EP Rugby's future looks promising
Andre Rademan keen to win back fans, help club finances
EP Rugby Union president Andre Rademan was a picture of contentment as he sat on a comfy bar stool in his union’s new pub this week.
There was good reason for EP’s main man to look like the cat who had got the cream when he spoke about his dreams for the new season.
The pub, in the union’s headquarters at Imatu House in North End, is a new initiative to help raise funds for clubs and build camaraderie among supporters.
Rademan wants to spread the goodwill his executive is building since he took over the hot seat from Cheeky Watson 22 months ago.
“We have opened a pub and the profits will go to club development. We will also be opening a restaurant in three weeks and I ask people to support this venture,” Rademan said.
The new pub is a small part of what Rademan is trying to achieve at the once floundering union.
“We are still putting the finishing touches to the pub and we want to put rugby pictures and posters on the wall to give it a proper EP feel,” he said.
Rademan admits he was a relieved man last week when his clubs unanimously endorsed a deal which will see a business consortium own a 74% stake in the Isuzu Southern Kings.
But the big battles are still to come as Rademan’s executive and the business consortium bid to turn around the union’s flagging fortunes.
In 24 matches played last season, the EP Currie Cup First Division side, the EP U21 and EP U19 teams lost every game they played.
All three teams finished bottom of their respective logs, and left the once proud union embarrassed by a series of heavy defeats.
In only six matches the EPU21 team leaked a massive 695 points, while the U19 side bled 851 points in 12 outings.
“I did not expect the big scores, and when I heard of the 173-0 defeat against Western Province I nearly had a heart attack,” Rademan said after the huge defeat.
“There was a lot of pressure on me to withdraw the teams. I did not and so I take responsibility for that decision. I wanted to honour the fixtures.”
Now, with the consortium on board, there is a new mood of optimism sweeping through.
The R45m buyout bid was concluded on December 12, but was only ratified by clubs at the annual meeting.
There had been speculation that some clubs might put a spanner in the buyout bid by vetoing the deal.
Rademan says the Kings PRO14 team will be run by a board of four consortium, two EPRU members and three independent directors.
It is expected the old Kings board will be dissolved by the end of March and that will pave the way for a new era.
It is expected that the cash injection will breathe new life into a region that has battled to keep its head above water in the Guinness PRO14, Currie Cup, SuperSport Rugby Challenge and junior levels.
It has been decided that some of the PRO14 coaching staff will be involved in the preparation of the Elephants SuperSport Challenge and the Currie Cup teams.
“We have already sat down with the consortium and one of the things we decided is that the PRO14 coaching staff will be part of the EP Elephants structures,” Rademan said.
“EP will also make use of their players and will give them game time, which puts us in a better position than last season. We will try to make the Supersport Series final and do better in the Currie Cup and aim for promotion to the Premier Division.
“We will also contract players and look at our own talent group who will blend in with the PRO14 players.”
There are plans to contract a group of players for the Supersport Challenge and Kings assistant coach Chumani Booi is tipped to take over head coach position at the Elephants.
Now the Elephants must charge into battle with their trunks up.
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