The debt conflict between the Uganda Rugby Union (URU) and referees has intensified following the rugby governing body’s latest response against claims that it owes Uganda Rugby Referees Society (URRS) up to Shs54million.
According to URU CEO Ramsey Olinga, the body in charge of referees, URRS, will have provide proof that the Union are yet to pay them the money mentioned after earlier claims that the money was not received.
This comes off an instance where several referees rejected the payments made by the Rugby Union in the past couple of weeks meant to clear their match officiating arrears.
The referees trashed Union’s “unprofessional” manner of paying them individually instead of sending the whole lot to the URRS as tradition before.
“I am a referee but I can’t pick the money because I feel the union is disrespecting us. The money should be given to URRS. It shouldn’t be the union paying the referees directly,” Peter Basadhansolo, the URRS secretary, told Daily Monitor.
URRS chairman Dennis Odongkara also claimed URU were only paying referees, who are loyal to them.
“URU is targeting referees that are in dire financial need.”
A referee earns Shs50,000 for handling international and local games, Shs20,000 for handling an age grade fixture and for the past several months, referees were barely paid.
The debts started accumulating in early 2011 till last month when referees boycotted school league games demanding payment.
The referee society moved on to petition URU to National Council of Sports (NCS) for immediate intervention before the confusion escalates.
URRS still want URU to channel the specific money owed and through the right channels. The National Council of Sports has since promised to look into the matter according to referee development manager Jaco Chagga.
“The response from NCS has been positive as they have promised to settle this as early as possible. Going to court is the last option if NCS fails but I am sure they will deal with it,” Chagga told Daily Monitor.
The situation leaves the May’s Rugby Series in balance in wait for referees whose issues are yet to be sorted.
