The sports bill that would have given the minister the authority to veto any decision relating to any South African sports teams have been withdrawn by Makhenkesi Stofile, minister of sport and recreation.

According to reports the new laws – described as draconian and which were innocuously delivered by Stofile and his department in December when leadership of most sporting bodies were on annual leave – were withdrawn late on Tuesday.

As ridiculous as it sounds, the bill would enable the sports minister to decide on individual selections in specific positions for any representative South African team.

Apart from the questionable timing of delivery of the bill to sporting bodies and the equally ridiculous limited time for comment, it was only published as a supplement to the existing law on sport and recreation.

However, according to the Afrikaans daily newspaper Beeld, a highly-placed source revealed that the regulations were set to be withdrawn, as they are apparently illegal.

Some of their proposed rulings that would have been implemented are as follows:
* No selection process is valid unless national trials have been held where each athlete who qualifies is given a chance.
* Management cannot receive national colours, with the exception of coaches. Motivation needs to be given for assistant coaches.
* Only South African passport holders can receive national colours, so players like Tendai Mtawarira and Brian Mujati cannot represent SA.
* Teams need to be chosen at least 30 days before any international competition and need to be sent to the Minister for approval.
* The Minister has the sole right to award national colours and to take them away or refuse them.

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The Leicester Tigers have decided to give Heyneke Meyer one more week to decide about his future at the club.

Meyer, who arrived at Welford Road at the start of the season, has returned home to South Africa to be with his wife’s parents, who are both seriously ill.

Club chairman Peter Tom had originally set last Sunday as the date to resolve the matter by, but chief executive Peter Wheeler has said Meyer has asked for more time.

Wheeler went on to stress that the club would not rush their head coach in such testing circumstances.

“I have spoken to Heyneke and his situation is still very difficult from a medical point of view,” Wheeler told The Leicester Mercury..

“I have said to him, ‘let’s give it another week’. If that is helpful to him, that is what we will do.”

Wheeler said that the Tigers board would discuss the way forward at next week’s scheduled meeting.

“We will, hopefully, have all of the information in place by then and be able to reach a decision,” he said.

“I have said to Heyneke that I will speak to him this weekend because we have got plenty on our plate this week (Tigers play the Ospreys in the Heineken Cup pool decider).

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Rassie Erasmus have chosen the strongest possible Stormers team possible to face the English club Saracens in the friendly Super 14 warm-up match at Newlands on Sunday.

Percy Montgomery will get a chance to return to the Stormers No15 jersey in the absence of the injured Springbok fullback Conrad Jantjes and Schalk Burger will be out for another week with a foot complaint, otherwise the team looks a close replica of the one likely to start the Super 14 campaign against the Sharks on Valentine’s Day.

Duane Vermeulen, the star loose-forward newcomer from the Cheetahs, will start in the No7 jersey, with Francois Louw being entrusted with the task of taking over Burger’s openside duties for this match.

“As you know, in our side the No8 is the openside,” joked Erasmus, who has often expressed the opinion that numbers on the back mean little to the loose-forward configuration.

“Francois will have the job of doing most of the work of the openside flanker in this game, but they will help each other out and do a bit of both.”

Vermeulen is normally a No8, so it is interesting to see Luke Watson retained at No8. What will be even more interesting, however, will be to see what Erasmus does with his selection once Burger is fit again.

As anticipated, Erasmus is giving Tongan Alipate Fatafehi, who apparently showed some good touches in an opposed practice session against UCT last weekend, a chance to show what he can do in a match situation.

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Eugene Eloff the Super 14 franchise Lions coach is thinking of not playing his star Springbok flyhalf Andre Pretorius in the pre-season match against the Bulls on Saturday.

Eloff, speaking to rugby365.com during a break in training on Tuesday, said he may keep the pivotal player on ice until the opening round of the competition proper – when they face the Cheetahs in Johannesburg on February 13.

The veteran Bok flyhalf, Pretorius, was named on Monday on the bench of the White team – one of two outfits who will face the Bulls in a double header in Johannesburg on Saturday. It would be his first competitive game in more than a year if he takes to the field.

Pretorius last played when he turned out for the Springboks in the 5-22 loss to the Barbarians at Twickenham in December 2007, injuring his foot in that game.

The 30-year-old Pretorius, who has had a catalogue of injuries in the past five years, underwent surgery – with the first attempt at fixing the problem not being successful, requiring the player to go under the knife again.

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Today is decision day for former Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer and the Leicester Tigers about his future with the English club. It seems likely that Meyer will not return to the Tigers.

The Afrikaans newspaper Rapport reports that the concession of the British club for Meyer to return home on compassionate grounds – both his wife’s parents are seriously ill – expires on Sunday, according to Rapport.

Meyer, who has an outstanding record with the Bulls and Blue Bulls, started coaching with Leicester this season. He has made a huge impact on the top English club and his departure for South Africa undoubtedly upset their planning.

The newspaper reports that Meyer was not prepared to discuss his decision, except to say that he will pursue the matter with Peter Wheeler, CEO of Leicester, in the week.

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Speculation in the media this weekend that Heyneke Meyer might be linked for a position at the Eastern Cape Super 14 franchise the Southern Spears is nothing more than premature speculation.

Weekend reports suggested that Meyer was being considered for the position of Director of Rugby for the franchise formerly known as the Southern Spears.

However, this has been dismissed as “premature speculation” by a source close to Meyer, who said the coach will not make a decision about his future until his current situation is resolved.

Meyer returned to South Africa during the busy United Kingdom festive season because of serious family illness.

In a media release at the time the Board of Leicester Tigers said it respects Meyer’s position and the club offers him and his family its full support.

“The extent of his absence will be assessed over the next two weeks and kept under review,” the statement said.

Meyer’s future at Tigers was thrown further in doubt after club chairman Peter Tom confirmed that he was unsure when, or if, the South African would be returning. Tom, at the time, suggested that Meyer would not be back before February at the very earliest.

The Leicester chairman, Tom, conceded the situation “put a doubt” over Meyer continuing with the club which he only joined before the start of this season following the departure of former Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda.

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Check out this excellent try by English club Bath winger Joe Maddock. Butch James had a great game and started off the try with an excellent run and self-collected kick. Enjoy!