News

PDV threatens to quit

Monday 08th September 2008

'Nonsense tape': Peter de Villiers says he was working too hard to get up to any naughty business

Sports bosses in South Africa have urged Springbok coach Peter de Villiers not to quit his job after he said over the weekend that he wanted to "walk away from this job and give it back to the whites" in the wake of 'sex tape' allegations.

Cedric Frolick, the deputy chairman of the parliamentary sports portfolio committee, who has been critical of the so-called lack of progress in the transformation process of the game in South Africa, has come out in support of the Bok coach, adding that "there is a thick air of conspiracy in South Africa right now."

Springbok communications manager Chris Hewitt is facing a disciplinary hearing this week after reports emerged that De Villiers was allegedly being blackmailed into selecting an unnamed player with a CCTV tape showing the coach engaging in sexual activities with an unknown woman in an East London parking lot.

De Villiers has fiercely denied any wrong doing and has threatened to quit his job in order to protect his family. PDV has two daughters he fears will be interrogated in public.

"That's why I think I should walk away from this job and give it back to the whites," De Villiers told the Sunday Times.

De Villiers confirmed that Hewitt had alleged on August 15 "before the New Zealand Test" in Cape Town that a potentially compromising tape existed.

Frolick said on Sunday that De Villiers should not allow the saga to distract him from his job.

"He mustn't have this defeatist attitude and say he will give the job back to the whites. He must not consider resigning at all," Frolick told the Pretoria News .

"If there is a tape, then those who have spoken about it must produce one. If people have an axe to grind with Peter, then they must go face to face with him. They mustn't hide behind other people. I called up Chris Hewitt and he denied saying I had a copy of the tape that is being spoken about.

"So Peter mustn't let these people get to him. This is a dirty trick on the part of those people who want Peter out. So I pledge my full support to Peter. It is not on to go into the private lives of people like this. Peter must forget about it and keep his eye on the ball for the end-of-year tour to the UK.

"He must start preparing and work out who he wants to select. I spoke to him a few days ago and told him to move on."

De Villiers and his agent have said the whole saga is nothing more than a "sick" plot to oust him from his job.

SA Rugby have been unable to comment on the issue until after the internal misconduct hearing apart from a statement released saying "The employee made certain extraordinary claims which SARU has since looked into, but has been unable to find any basis to support these claims in fact."

"I have consistently denied any allegations of wrong misconduct against me and have asked that due process be followed," said Hewitt in the Sunday press.