SARU to investigate Watson rant

Following the comments by Luke Watson, reported on rugby365, regarding the state of rugby in South Africa, acting managing director of SA Rugby Andy Marinos has confirmed an urgent meeting has been called.

During a public address recently Watson made a number of statements regarding SA Rugby which have now been reported in the media, many of which have clearly caused some concern for people in the sports hierarchy.

Some of the statements include:

“We need to see the bigger picture and realise that the here and now is not just the here and now, but the here and now only exists because of those who went before us and because of those who are still to come,

“Me having to wear the Springbok jersey, to keep myself from vomiting on it, because there is a bigger picture, because men and women have bled for me to get there.

“Did I ever want to be there? No, it’s never been my dream, but I chose this burden with the greatest of pride and satisfaction, knowing that my father Cheeky Watson laid down his life to get me there.

In the statement SA Rugby confirmed that a meeting would take place in Cape Town as soon as possible and decision made from there.

“The South African Rugby Union has greeted with shock statements attributed to Luke Watson regarding South African rugby, his Springbok team-mates and the national jersey,” read the statement.

“SARU has called an urgent meeting on Monday to determine the accuracy of the reports with Western Province, the player’s contracting union, and the University of Cape Town Rugby Club (UCT), where the statements were said to have been made.”

Marinos himself said: “If the reports are accurate this is a very serious matter indeed,
 
“But we can’t pre-judge the matter on the strength of media reports and we can make no definitive statement until we have in our hands what evidence there may be.”

With thanks to SA Rugby

Watson wants to ‘vomit on Bok jersey’

Controversial Western Province loose forward Luke Watson has launched a bizarre attack on his Springbok teammates, South African rugby, administrators and even the late Danie Craven.

But most of all, in his melodramatic outburst, he claimed that he felt so nauseated by wearing the Springbok jersey that he wanted to vomit on it.

Another claim he made was that “the problem with SA rugby is that it is controlled by Dutchmen”, whilst Watson also suggested that SA rugby is “rotten to the core” and that “the men who sit on my left and right of me in the change room despise me for who I am”.