Golden Lions say financial allegations are false
The Golden Lions Rugby Union has broken its silence regarding its financial circumstances. Blogger Tank Lanning posted that ““All Lions Players told only money for salaries until end December. All looking for jobs.”
The Lions have responded via Facebook, and elsewhere: “The initial rumours, circulated via an individual’s blog website, stated that the information was received from a “reliable source”, but would not name the source.
“The Golden Lions Rugby Union would like to reiterate the comments that “they are malicious rumours” made on Twitter in response to numerous queries from supporters.
”Statements such as those made by this individual are incredibly damaging as they create an unnecessary sense of unease and panic amongst those within the Union structures. We will not tolerate this and are seeking legal advice”, President of the GLRU Kevin de Klerk said.
“Further statements in this blog stated ‘given that the Lions have been in financial poo for a while, I can well believe this news. After all the previous investors did not pull out of the deal without reason…’
”The relationship with the previous equity partners did not work out, but the matter was closed on 28 June 2011 and we will not rehash or reopen that discussion,” De Klerk said.
“The closing line of the article states ‘that John Mitchell and his team performed despite this is the amazing, yet slightly sad, side to the story’.
The fact of the matter is that the team performed so well due to the stability and continuity experienced within the Lions. The coaching staff and players received support from management and administrators in every way possible, and the results speak for themselves.
”The new equity partners, in conjunction with the existing management, have made numerous changes within the Union’s structures and we are in a better position at the moment than we have been in quite some time. The Union is growing in both strength and stature and rumours such as these started by one individual can potentially undo much of the good work done over the past few months.
”This matter is now considered closed and until we have had formal discussions with our legal team on the way forward, we will not be commenting any further,” De Klerk concluded.
Comment in the market is that a Lions vice-president, Altman Allers, has brought in a consortium to provide financial support. Some 20 players’ contracts have not been renewed, among them Marius Delport, David Bulbring and Henno Mentz, and the players’ list will be cut further.
Financial issues have been to the forefront since the termination in mid-2011 of a R16 million investment from billionaire Robert Gumede and partner Ivor Ichikowitz; they claimed Lions bosses were “stuck in the past” and operated the franchise like amateurs.
The blogger in question posted here: — Official GLRU announcement, with additional reporting by Staff Reporter, SportsCentral