There is still plenty of bite left in the tenacious Border Bulldogs despite a tough year during which the troubled Border Rugby Union grappled with major issues on and off the field.
That is the verdict of Elliot Fana, chair of clubs and districts in the Border region, who says the Bulldogs have started intense preparations to play in the 2021 SA Cup.
In 2018, Border was placed under SA Rugby administration because of its dire financial situation and administration issues.
SA Rugby appointed Border administrator Basil Haddad and is expected to make an announcement on Border’s situation early in 2021.
SA Rugby communications officer Andy Colquhoun has confirmed Border will field a team in the SA Cup.
Fana says preparations are well under way for Border to make a challenge for SA Cup honours.
“Border will definitely play in the SA Cup season,” Fana said.
“We are engaging and the players are busy with their off-season programme.
“I have seen their programme and have observed players being screened and tested like any other professional outfit.
“They will close just before Christmas and come back after the New Year celebrations.
“So yes, we will have a much better prepared team for 2021 as the squad has already been assembled.
“Team management has also been assembled for the upcoming season, except for one or two vacancies where they are looking for quality recruits.
“I am confident in the future of Border Rugby, but I know the challenges we are experiencing will not go away overnight.
“There are quality people out there who have dedicated their time voluntarily to assist with the rebuilding of Border Rugby.
“The assistance and support that we get from both the Eastern Cape government and SA Rugby is significant.
“We were here when problems started at BRU, we are not immune to all these challenges as we were part of the BRU general council.
“We are still here during these challenging times and we have learnt the hard lessons from our mistakes and are looking for long-lasting solutions for Border Rugby.
“We have a strong group of leaders from different clubs and districts, chaired by myself, advocate Zuko Badli [deputy chair] and Asanda Simoyi [secretary].
“After Saru, as custodians of rugby in South Africa, evoked section 28 of its constitution and suspended the union, they put a strategy in place to assist BRU to get back on track and get our affairs in order.
“It was at this point that we organised ourselves as club owners, that we [realised we] must have information sharing sessions until such time that we saw fit to organise a structure where we are able to get recognition.
“We know very well we are still under administration and Saru is in charge of all decisions at Border Rugby Union.
“We are working reasonably well with different stakeholders, with the main objective to give support to those tasked with the turnaround strategy for BRU and assist with rugby-related affairs, while BRU is under Saru administration.”
Fana singled out some of the challenges Border are grappling with.
“Two challenges stand out for me at Border, which are improper governance of the union and lack of financial resources,” he said.
“The people that we voted in to lead the BRU did not deliver on their constitutional mandate to develop, transform and grow rugby in the Border region.
“This causes confusion as a lot of clubs, districts and affiliates do not always have clarity on important rugby matters, which affects all involved in the development of the game in our province.
“There was poor attendance of meetings which end up being cancelled, with delegates coming from far areas, and such important decision-making platforms become wasted.
“All of this affects the normal administration of a rugby union and the fact that we are under administration attests to such activities undermining the mandate to grow the game.
“Having said all the above, we aim to constantly capacitate ourselves and properly administer our structures effectively from club rugby to professional rugby.
“Luckily there is a lot of potential among our club administrators and district unions, which bodes well for BRU.
“Secondly, BRU is limping when it comes to financial resources.
“We just don’t have money.
“For a very long time we have not been able to secure financial backing from big corporate organisations to sponsor our flagship team the Border Bulldogs.
“Our quality players leave us for greener pastures to go earn market-related salaries at other rugby unions.
“This on its own weakens the team as we keep on rebuilding all the time instead of progressing to a stage where we are settled and able to compete and win trophies.
“We hope and pray that with the positive vibe and energy we possess as clubs and districts, it can rub off on the Bulldogs.
“Surely, if the team preforms it will lure investors who can plough back and sponsor the team.”
Fana is a seasoned administrator and played rugby in his youth, representing the Griffons Craven Week Team and also their under-21 side.
He also played for Welkom Police Rugby Club and Thabong Huricanes.
Fana started coaching at Welkom High School and later moved to St Dominic’s College as a first-team coach.
He then coached the Griffons Craven Week schools’ team.
Later he managed SA Schools and then joined the SA U20 coaching team.
Fana was also involved at Griffons before linking up with UFH shield team.
He coached the Bulldogs U21 to win the B Section and gain promotion to the Currie Cup A Section.
Fana also coached the Bulldogs and retired from coaching in 2016 to focus on sport administration.
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