Three members of SA Rugby leadership stand down

CAPE TOWN - Three leading members of the embattled South African Rugby Union (SARU) have agreed to stand down from their positions although president Brian van Rooyen has so far refused to resign.

"So far I have confirmation from three members of the management committee -- Andre Markgraaff (deputy president), Mike Stofile (vice president) and Theunie Lategan -- that they will stand down," South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) president Moss Mashishi told Reuters on Wednesday.

SASCOC is the umbrella governing body of South African sport.

The leadership of SARU was on Tuesday told to step down by Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile.

Stofile backed a call from SASCOC demanding that feuding union president Van Rooyen and his deputies Markgraaff and Mike Stofile -- the sport minister's younger brother -- and the union's entire management committee resign immediately.

The leadership was given until the end of business on Thursday to vacate their positions.

Van Rooyen remained defiant and told a radio station on Wednesday: "I will not be forced to resign by people who did not elect me, we have a process to follow at the SARU."

During the radio interview Van Rooyen invited SASCOC to address Thursday's president's council meeting in Johannesburg.

However, Mashishi told Reuters: "We have not been formally invited and I have received no message from Mr Van Rooyen to that effect.

"But it is something SASCOC would definitely consider."

Mashishi said a three-man interim committee -- comprising two rugby appointees and one from SASCOC -- would run rugby until new elections on June 17.

Mashishi said that the current presidents should not be allowed to stand for re-election until the annual meeting in February 2006.

- REUTERS