Kowie United Rugby Club say they may take up what they claim is their unfair omission from the 40-team Adams Cup Competition with mother body, SA Rugby Union.
They are also looking at other options following a public dispute about their exclusion.
Kowie United’s president, Norman Denston, whose team plays under the jurisdiction of the South Eastern Districts Sub Union (Sedru) claims the club should have been given the nod to play in the Adams Cup (North section) that kicked off two weeks ago, ahead of Klipfontein United.
Both teams compete in the Sedru regional league competition.
Kowie United say they ended up second on the log to Rosebuds and not Klipfontein United, and it is they (Kowie United) who should have received promotion to the Adams Cup Competition.
The saga that is casting a dark cloud over this section of the competition can be traced back to Station Hill fields in June last year when Klipfontein United’s league encounter against Ndlambe Tigers was called off in the second half, after a Ndlambe Municipality fire engine got stuck on the field that impeded play.
The incident followed a few days of heavy rain leaving the field muddied in parts. At the time of the incident, the fire engine was making its way onto the field to assist another emergency vehicle that got stuck on the sidelines.
The referee, Kurt Wentzel, called the match off as a result with about 20 minutes to go with Ndlambe Tigers leading 17-13. The EPRU independent appeals committee then declared the teams must share the points after Klipfontein lodged an appeal with Sedru against the 17-13 result having to stand as is.
“However, what happened was that Klipfontein incorrectly received three points instead of two after parties agreed to the findings,” claimed Denston. The bonus point Klipfontein received for being within seven points the time the match was called off, should have fallen away completely after the decision was made that the points be shared. It should just have been the two points not three.”
The end result of EPRU’s decision is that Klipfontein shaded Kowie United by a single point which proved crucial in terms of the final log standings at the end of the season. To further put the matter to bed, it was Klipfontein who received the runner-up tropy and prizes at the EPRU prize-giving function towards the end of last year.
“We have been consistent this season and we are calling on the EPRU to promote us to the Adams Cup,” said Denston. This is not fair and must be investigated properly. Someone at EPRU messed up with the final logs and this is not a fair reflection. EPRU must acknowledge their mistake and we will be taking up the matter with Saru,” said Denston.
Kowie supporters have joined the fray and voiced their outrage on social media. One post on FB read, “You are destroying rugby in our communities. How can the team below Kowie United get promoted?
Another commenter said “Please , this matter must be taken further … that is why young and talented players are getting frustrated; everything just goes on like there is nothing wrong.”
Klipfontein Secretary Helgard Fischat said the club was not prepared to get in to a slanging match on social media. “We won’t comment,” said Fischat. “Except to say that we are playing under the Sedru banner and they sent the final log positions to EPRU after the season ended, which showed us (Klipfontein) in second place. At the EPRU prize-giving we received the runner up prize.”
“It’s funny that Kowie United had accepted the result of the appeals committee that suggested the points be shared, some time ago already. Now that the Adams Cup has been expanded now they are coming up with all kinds of criticism and highlighting the incident between us and Ndlambe Tigers.”
EPRU after receiving the final regional league log- standings from Sedru, decided to award runners-up trophy to Klipfontein United at their prize-giving ceremony last year.
“Also that log on social media that shows Rosebuds in first spot on 41 points and Kowie United in second on 40 and us Klipfontein supposedly in third (39) has been altered. It has been changed and it’s easy to do that in a Word document. So that’s not true,” said Fischat.
EPRU president George Malgas could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press.
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This article was first published in Talk of the Town, May 8, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
