EP Rugby Union President Andre Rademan has promised that the woeful performance of the EP team in domestic competition last season will never by repeated again.
He was addressing the media at the Union's offices on Tuesday afternoon in announcing the current assistant coach to the Southern Kings, Chumani Booi, as the new head coach of the EP Elephants. Former Springbok Thando Manana will be the team manager.
39 year-old Booi, who played in over 100 matches for the Border Bulldogs, will coach the EP Elephants in the up-coming Supersport Rugby Challenge and also in the Currie Cup later in the season.
Rademan believes with the Union having now won the financial battle, the EP team is in a position to contend for the Supersport Challenge. "We know what happened in the 2017/18 season cannot be repeated. We can never again look at 100-nil scores, its humiliating and I'm the first one to admit it. Like I said, we had to win the financial battle and get all our ducks in a row. We had to turn the Union around and that in itself was a huge challenge."
Booi said he was excited to be given the opportunity to work with the Elephants as a head coach and that he sees it as a big step-up for his own career. "We will be making use of a lot of players in the Isuzu Southern Kings Pro14 squad and from the Madibaz varsity squad once their commitments in the Varsity Shield are complete after Thursday's final."
Booi said they had also followed due process with the club players by holding trials. Out of those trials they've been able to pick a squad of 38 and they'll now integrate them with the Pro14 players to make up the squad for the Supersport Challenge.
The EP Elephants will play the SWD Eagles in a friendly in Plettenberg Bay on the 17th of April and open their Supersport Challenge Campaign against Boland in Robertson on Sunday the 28th of April. At least three of EP's Supersport Challenge matches will enjoy TV coverage.
