A miscommunication over proof of payment to referees resulted in most Border club rugby matches being cancelled at the weekend, with only one Premier League fixture played.
The Border Rugby Referees’ Association instructed its members last week not to officiate after not receiving payment confirmation of money owed to them.
There were two matches scheduled for the top-flight Super League on Saturday and three games in the second-tier Premier League.
Only one match was played across both divisions, the one between Premier League teams Rising Stars and Winter Rose at the NU13 Mdantsane Field.
According to Border Rugby Union executive member and clubs representative Mzi Douw, the referees’ association was given proof of payment on Saturday despite the money being paid on Thursday.
“The referees are owed an amount estimated at around R300,000, but a payment plan was made to fix that in recent days,” he said.
“We paid them an instalment of that amount on Thursday, but the proof of payment was not sent to them on the same day via email.
“Since there was no receipt of payment, the referees’ association communicated to their members that they must not referee any matches.
“By the time the matter was fixed on Saturday morning at around 11am, and the referees’ association was shown the POP made on Thursday, some of the referees had made commitments and there had to be scrambling to get officials to [attend],” he said.
They managed to find officials for the Rising Stars and Winter Rose game.
For the Fort Hare and WSU Eagles game, there were complaints about the official found on the day not being Box Smart accredited and not being part of the Border referees panel.
In the case of the Ngculu Zebras and Africans, Douw said the Breidbach outfit said they were unable to travel Nqamakwe.
The big game between the WSU All Blacks and Swallows at the NU1 Stadium in Mdantsane was postponed midweek, with Swallows citing bereavements.
The Ntlaza and Busy Boys match was also postponed.
In the match that was eventually played in Mdantsane, Rising Stars from Kwelera, dismantled Winter Rose 80-29.
This meant Stars moved to 53 points and are just one point behind Premier League log-leaders Lovedale College, who are on 54.
Lovedale have played all their 12 matches while Stars have played 11 and have a game in hand to clinch the title and gain promotion to the Super League.
• On Friday, Border U21 suffered their second loss in SA Rugby Shield losing 37-17 to the SWD Eagles in George.
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