La Motte and Cloetesville, on the other hand, applied for full affiliation with the Boland Rugby Union in November 2024, a move approved by the club’s management and community.

Boland Rugby Union then accepted both La Motte and Cloetesville at their AGM in November 2024. Both clubs were invited as a full members to the February 2025 members’ meeting.

However, the WPRFU has opposed Cloetesville and La Motte’s affiliation with Boland, citing geographical boundaries.

But while La Motte got full affiliation status with Boland, they had been fighting for the better part of 10 years to be a full affiliate member of Western Province, and are very surprised that the union doesn’t want to let them leave.

Rugby in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl fall under Western Province, despite all other sports in the region playing under the banner of Boland. However, formerly disadvantaged schools in Paarl and Franschhoek play in Boland, while the former Model C schools such as Paarl Boys’ High and Paarl Gymnasium play their rugby under Western Province.

To make matter more complicated, La Motte’s neighbouring clubs Wemmershoek and Dennegeur RFC are affiliated to Boland. Franschhoek Rugby Club, however, is playing in Western Province.

After making their intentions clear, Paarl and La Motte were summoned on March 19 to a meeting with the WPRFU on March 20 at the Paul Roos Markotter Longroom. Paarl declined the invitation because of the short notice, but La Motte agreed to meet, hoping their situation would be resolved.

However, the Franschhoek club claim they were “bullied” and “steamrolled” in the meeting, which according to them, had no agenda. At the meeting Danny Jones, General Manager Amateur Rugby WPRFU, informed them that their request to move to Boland has been denied.

“La Motte is appalled by the unethical manner the meeting was run, no attendance register, no agenda, and it was insisted by Mr. Danny Jones that no recordings will be allowed of the meeting,” the club said in a strongly worded statement after walking out of the meeting.

club rugby

Rugby borders in the Cape back in the spotlight after Western Province block Winelands clubs' move to Boland