New Western Province (WP) Rugby Football Union president Kevin Kiewitz describes himself as a problem solver.
“I try to find solutions every day as a lawyer,” said the conveyance lawyer in a city where most dwellings are considered hot property.
Given what WP have gone through over the past seven or so years, they are in need of a troubleshooter. This week, in their first vote since 2018, Kiewitz was elected president, having garnered 54% support. He takes the reins of a province that over the last while has been anything but a union.
WP had been fractured and troubled before Kiewitz’s predecessor Zelt Marais took over but Marais fast-tracked them to the abyss before the South African Rugby Union (Saru) aggressively applied the handbrake to prevent them from disappearing over the edge.
The union was too big and valued to fail. They placed WP under administration and stripped them of voting rights in 2021 after much monetary misadventure brought the union to the brink of bankruptcy.
Second serve
Kiewitz remembers this period well as he served on the board for 18 months before quitting in protest. “I served on the board for a year and a half, under Zelt.
“I couldn’t take it any more, so I resigned in 2020. At the time the people just wanted to talk about professional rugby. It skewed the thing. There was very little time spent talking about club and community rugby.”
A few things have changed. WP are no longer under administration and have equity partners in the form of Red Disa Consortium, which holds a 74% share. There’s a clear distinction between the amateur arm that makes up WP Rugby and its professional wing WP Professional Rugby.
The professional wing expects the amateur arm to keep to their side. “The WPRFU elections will directly affect the Stormers Rugby only as much as the union might nominate two different non executive directors to serve on our company board,” explained CEO Johan le Roux.
We have such a bad track record, we need to rebuild relationships with key stakeholders. We don’t want to be in the papers for the wrong reasons
— Kevin Kiewitz, WP Rugby Football Union president
“The union’s mandate is to manage community rugby in its territory, and a well functioning and thriving WPRFU could indirectly benefit us at Stormers Rugby via a strong pool of talented club players eligible to play for our U19, U21 or senior teams.”
More focused
Asked whether the clear separation of duties will make his job easier, Kiewitz said: “Definitely. I think now it is easier because it allows us to focus. We (the clubs) still have a 26% share, so I will be on the board.”
There will be less to fight about, yet dissenting voices persist, with Marais leading the chorus. His 10-year ban from rugby structures was upheld this week by Saru which precluded him from another push for power.
He is no messiah but having been there before, Kiewitz can view his second coming as unfinished business.
After Marais’s malfeasance, there are bridges to build and fences to mend. “Our job is to ensure a pathway from primary school to professional rugby,” stressed Kiewitz.
“We are the conduit that has to ensure a smooth transition. The relationship between us, the company and the shareholders is important because if we build on it, we can develop our coaches under the guidance of Dobbo (director of rugby John Dobson).”
Deep roots
It helps that Kiewitz is deeply rooted in the community. “It happened by chance. You play the game and then the older guys see you can do certain things,” he said about his transition into administration.
While studying for his law degree, he played for the University of the Western Cape before completing his articles in Stellenbosch, where he played for Van der Stel. He then opened his own law practice in Bishop Lavis, while playing his club rugby for Tygerberg.
“At one stage they wanted me to stop playing and take care of administration but I decided I’d rather join another club, so I went to Bellville and captained there until the age of 38. After I stopped playing, they said I should become vice-chairman and then chairman. I took a three-year break. In 2013 Tygerberg asked me to become their chairman and later I became the president.”
Kiewitz is determined to stay true to his roots. He is confident those around him on the executive share his vision. “I’m a property lawyer, we have a commercial lawyer, a senior lecturer in business administration, we have someone who works in the premier's office, two former players who played at a high level in Moeneeb Levy and Francois Bonthuys, a university sports administrator. Everyone has a full-time job and is successful in their own right,” he said pointedly.
Kiewitz is desperate to set things right. “We have such a bad track record, we need to rebuild relationships with key stakeholders. We don’t want to be in the papers for the wrong reasons.”
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