Western Province Rugby sails close to the wind in securing All Blacks test

Time is running out for Western Province Rugby to have Newlands rubber-stamped as a venue for the Springboks' October 7 test against the All Blacks.

They need to get a clearance certificate from the City of Cape Town but they have still not submitted their application. Once an application is submitted it can take up to 30 days to obtain a certificate.

SA Rugby, through its president Mark Alexander, has indicated Western Province have until June to secure the certificate or run the risk of the game being taken elsewhere.

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He did not rule out taking the match to another city, but that is highly unlikely as flights, accommodation and training facilities for the teams have already been secured. Also, SA Rugby's general council would have to approve a change of venue.

"We can't sanction an event at a venue if it doesn't have the certificate," said Alexander. "We would not be performing our fiduciary duties if we did. Western Province have to obtain the certificate. It is the law," he said about the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Regulations Act. The Act was published in the Government Gazette on March 3.

Western Province made it sound as if the stadium was getting a final lick of paint before the certificate was issued. "We are just dotting the Is and crossing the Ts and getting all the paperwork together," said Western Province chief executive Paul Zacks.

When asked what Western Province needed to do to get the clearance certificate Zacks said: "We've done what we need to do. The city now needs to issue the certificate. I actually don't want to get into it because ... it's complicated, but I'm pretty confident the test will be held at Newlands."

But they haven't applied yet. "The city is awaiting an application from the stadium management in order to make the assessment required in terms of the Safety at Sports and Recreation Events Act," said executive director for Safety and Security, Richard Bosman.

When Zack said it's complicated he was spot on. A certificate will not be issued unless they have certification, among others, that clears the stadium's structural integrity, fire safety and fire equipment installation compliance, electrical compliance, an emergency evacuation and disaster management plan (they must be able to evacuate the stadium within 15 minutes), safety and security installation.

Newlands has not staged a test against the All Blacks since 2008, and there will be a massive backlash if local rugby authorities now dropped the ball.