The club manager of Maties Rugby resigned at the end of March after reaching a settlement agreement with Stellenbosch University (SU).
A Maties Rugby sign at the Danie Craven Stadium. PHOTO: Alistair Seymour
Quintin Van Rooyen agreed to resign as club manager shortly before he was meant to attend a disciplinary hearing for several alleged offences, according to Chris Lombard, a legal representative from Quo Vadis Industrial Relations and Management Consultants who represents Van Rooyen.
“Stellenbosch University confirms that Mr Quintin van Rooyen resigned. The events that led to the agreement and the contents thereof are confidential,” said Martin Viljoen, spokesperson of SU.
Van Rooyen resigned on Monday 29 March, according to Lombard. The alleged offences that would have been discussed in the disciplinary hearing cannot be confirmed, as the hearing never took place, he added.
“Those alleged offences were never tested in a hearing where, you know, typically I would have represented him [Van Rooyen] if they allowed…but that never took place,” said Lombard.
Van Rooyen’s decision to resign was reached after a settlement offer was made by SU, according to Lombard. The resignation agreement was best for both parties involved, he added.
“It [SU’s settlement offer] was a very reasonable offer. It was the natural next step after the agreement was reached. It’s not as if he had to resign,” said Lombard.
Maties Rugby is described on their website as, “probably one of the biggest competitive rugby clubs in the world,” Van Rooyen acted as manager. PHOTO: Alistair Seymour
The resignation agreement was finalised after discussions between Van Rooyen and SU, according to Lombard.
“We were preparing for the hearing. [Van Rooyen] then had a discussion with the university and they proposed a settlement and he then decided. Obviously, with these hearings and alleged offences, there are, more often than not, risks for both parties. So we will never know…we cannot speculate,” said Lombard.
Van Rooyen had worked for Maties Rugby since 2012, and served as the club manager for over 8 years.
“[Van Rooyen] has got vast experience in administering rugby and he knows the student rugby environment,” stated Wilbur Kraak, associate professor of sport coaching and video-based performance analysis at SU, in WhatsApp correspondence with MatieMedia.