'Token' coach walks out and doesn't turn up for work the next day

The toxic environment in the boardroom, that is sullying the Stormers brand, has been overtaken by the coaching spat that erupted this week – report Rugby 365.

Stormers assistant coach Paul Treu ‘lanced the festering boil’ when he stormed out of an end-of-season review.

The Cape Town-based Afrikaans publication Netwerk24 first reported on Treu’s big walk-out.

It has been confirmed by sources close to the team that not only did Treu walk out on Wednesday, but also did not turn up for work on Thursday.

Western Province President Thelo Wakefield confirmed to the publication that there is a problem that needs resolving as soon as possible, while Director of Rugby Gert Smal described the issue as ‘sensitive’.

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However, some probing questions revealed some more disturbing developments.

It appears Treu feels he is ‘just a token’ and that the players openly talk about the fact that other members of the coaching staff ‘favour’ New Zealander Paul Feeney over the former Sevens national team coach.

The turmoil has been brewing for some time.

The prolonged and often bitter dissension among the coaching staff is born out of the way that Treu was treated – especially the constant changing of his role in the set-up.

Last year he was defence coach and despite having a sound record in 2017, his role was then changed to being in charge of ‘structured attack’ and ‘first phase defence’.

This outburst – which added to the general noxious environment in the Cape Town franchise – follows the recent revelations by rugby365 of just how dire the Stormers and Western Province Rugby Union’s financial state is.

It is believed Newlands was put up as ‘security’ for outstanding debts, as the future of the iconic stadium remains shrouded in uncertainty.

Investment holding company Remgro confirmed to rugby365 that the Western Province Rugby Union has registered a mortgage bond – in favour of the Stellenbosch-based company – as security for an outstanding loan worth more than ZAR40-million.

No doubt the results on the field is a result of the lack of trust within the management structures.

As they say: The chickens have come home to roost!