The dreams of a cohort of U21 Ndlambe Rugby Federation (NRF) players have been left in tatters after they were kicked out of the Andre Rademan competition by the controlling body for the game in the region, South Eastern Districts Rugby Union (Sedru).
The team played their first season in the Eastern Province Rugby Union (EPRU) managed competition last year, against teams from Jeffrey’s Bay, Gqeberha, Kariega and Hankey. Theyended sixth out of eight teams.
Now, after a surprising about-turn, Ndlambe’s top young rugby talent is sitting on the sidelines. In a letter to the NRF on May 8, the EPRU confirmed their team’s participation. In a letter to the NRF executive dated May 20, the EPRU said they had decided to remove the team from that league. The letter followed a phone call on May 13.
The NRF responded by lodgin an appeal on May 16 with the EPRU after the latter’s about-turn on the U21 team’s participation.
“Our appeal is lodged on the EPRU adopted constitution of March 5 2022 [that] states clearly that in the EPRU’s correspondence dated May 8 2025, the federation team was included,” the federation wrote.
The May 20 response to this appeal (Talk of the Town has a copy) was signed by EPRU president George Malgas. It said the matter had come up at a Sedru meeting in Makhanda on April 9, attended by a delegation of the EPRU executive. It said the EPRU was “of the view that combined teams may apply to their respective sub unions for endorsement to participate in the U21 league, on the basis that such permission is granted by the sub union… only in the event of Sedru endorsing your (NRF) application (to compete in the U21 league) will it be considered. At this point we cannot entertain this appeal and we encourage you to seek an audience with your sub-union executive (Sedru) committee”.
An irate NRF executive hit back with its marketing official, Christo Breytenbach, saying they were not invited to the meeting where the decision was taken. “This meeting on April 9 was actually an EPRU roadshow to meet with the sub union, so we why did they divert everything and begin to address our U21s participation without us present? And to make matters worse, no reason has been given for our withdrawal.”
NRF president, Chris Gidana, believed that petty politics was at play.
“It’s ridiculous and it’s against the constitution to not have us present at the meeting,” said Gidana. “We as the executive are not getting paid to do this, to develop rugby … you must see the costs we have to cover for these players … we are trying to give them an opportunity. What do we tell these kids now?”
The NRF comprises four clubs: Kowie United, Klipfontein United, Ndlambe Tigers and Trying Stars.
The U21 hopefuls played in a trial match at Harmony Park in February to finalise the team. “We pay out of our own pockets for transport, but what hope do we now give these youngsters after they were kicked out,” said Breytenbach.
Sedru president, Neil Wentzel, said the union was not in a position to comment at this stage.
“We stand by the EPRU statement and the decision that Sedru meet with all relevant parties to resolve the under 21 matter. We are busy with the process, and plan to get this team back into the league as a matter of extreme urgency.
“As soon as this matter is finalised, we will communicate with EPRU and through this body we will be able to communicate to you as an important partner in the development of our youth and, in particular, rugby,” Wentzel said.
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, May 29, 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.
