Eastern Province Rugby Union president Cheeky Watson says he is ready to step down from his post in order to pursue his business interests.
Watson survived another motion of no confidence on Saturday, with clubs that wanted the long-serving EPRU president to leave failing to reach the required 63 votes for a two-thirds majority.
Watson has avoided speaking to the media in recent months as the union has fallen further and further into financial difficulties, but told The Herald after Saturday’s meeting that he was willing to move on, although he didn’t specify an exact date.
‘It is a door in my life that needs to close and not to be resurrected again,’ he said.
Watson revealed that he could step down within the next couple of weeks, and admitted that his time as president had left a scar on him.
‘I have never been a populist and I have never worried about people’s opinions and what they think of me. If I tackle a job I tackle it with every fibre of my being and try to be as successful as possible. It was gratifying to see the support from clubs, but one needs to look at the bigger picture here and look at rugby as a whole within the province.’
Photo: Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images
