Rugby president beats up referee

The Western Province Rugby Union (WPRU) will hold a disciplinary hearing this week following the latest incident of rugby-related violence that involved a former referee and the president of a local rugby club after a match writes Lee-Shay Collison for the Cape Argus.

It was reported in a Sunday newspaper that Eugene Daniels, a retired referee was allegedly beaten up by Jerome Booysen, president of the Belhar Rugby Club after the game between Belhar and Paarl rugby clubs last Saturday.

Belhar spectators had apparently bad-mouthed their team who were losing to Paarl and also Daniels’s daughter, Eugenia, who was the referee.

Daniels, who was a spectator at the game, reportedly said that Belhar management had done nothing to bring the rowdy crowd to order and that after the match someone had tried to hit his daughter.

When this happened, he is alleged to have said: “No one hits my daughter.”

He was then punched and kicked.

He was told later that Booysen had thrown the first punch.

But on Sunday the secretary of Belhar Rugby Club, James Thomas, claimed that Daniels had instigated the fight.

He said that during the match in which Eugenia Daniels was refereeing, Daniels had violated rugby rules by shouting orders at his daughter and had riled up spectators.

He said later at the clubhouse, Eugenia Daniels had pulled Booysen aside aggressively causing him to lose his balance.

He is then said to have pushed Eugenia.

Daniels is then alleged to have punched Booysen.

“Daniels heckled the spectators. He came into the clubhouse and told us ‘you people can’t control the crowd’,” said Thomas.

“He was very rude and abusive. From the minute he came onto the field, he was provocative and confrontational.”

WPRU Deputy Chief Executive Herman Abrahams confirmed on Monday that Daniels had made a case with the union and that a disciplinary hearing would be held on Thursday.

Thomas said Belhar Rugby had submitted reports to the union but had not yet received a reply.

The incident is the latest in a series of violent altercations that has brought shame to the game in the province.

In April, the Boland Rugby Union appeals board banned Ceres rugby player Ben Zimri for life for on-field violence that left Delicious Rugby Club player Riaan Loots brain dead.

Loots was left unconscious after a game on June 23. He died later in hospital.

Last month all teenage teams, U-14, U-16 and U-19, from Collegians Rugby Football Club were banned from taking part in the WP High Schools Rugby Association for the season.

This came after members of the Under-19 team clashed with Gordon High School players at a match at Charles Morkel stadium in the Strand on May 5, in which a spectator and a linesman were injured.