Axed Spears boss files High Court application
By Derrick Spies

SUSPENDED Southern Spears chief executive Tony McKeever has filed an urgent application at the Grahamstown High Court to have himself reinstated.
McKeever said this was the first step in a two-phase plan to reinstate the rights of the Spears.
“My first objective is to be reinstated and once I have accomplished this I will lobby the board to take the necessary action against SA Rugby,” he said.
McKeever‘s application, which will be heard tomorrow, has three aspects - that he be reinstated soon, that the Spears administration, including McKeever, be paid their outstanding salaries and that the costs of the application be carried by the Spears board.
“The position of the employees has become untenable. Although it‘s possible to carry one month without a salary, after two months even I‘m in dire straits because income to which I‘m entitled has not been forthcoming,” reads his application
It further points out that SA Rugby‘s decision to remove the Spears from the Super 14 and Currie Cup competitions “effectively leaves the ([Spears) as a professional Super 14 franchise with players, a coach, staff and management in a situation where they cannot participate in any competitive rugby and thus renders the ([Spears) a purposeless organisation, unless the board acts decisively and speedily to protect its rights”.
Spears President Aldy Meyer said he respected McKeever‘s decision to take the matter up in court, as each person was entitled to defend his rights.
Responding to McKeever‘s concerns about the players‘ salaries, SA Rugby managing director Johan Prinsloo said SA Rugby financial administrator Basil Haddad had made an urgent application to the SA Rugby board of directors to address the issue of the players‘ salaries, and that they were in the process of getting approval to release the relevant funds.
“This is unfortunately a timely exercise, but we need to get the proper authorisation, as the players‘ salaries were not a budgeted expense,” he said.