Disgraced Eastern Province rugby president Cheeky Watson (64) has promised to pay his struggling former players R5m in cash in the next four months. A Daily Dispatch report say if Watson fails to cough up the money in time, he faces a far greater financial burden with judgment to be taken against him for more than R23m.

Asked where Watson planned on getting the money from at such short notice, his lawyer, Danie Gouws from D Gouws Incorporated, said he was not prepared to discuss his client’s personal assets in public.

Gouws said further that Watson had offered to pay the R5m ‘out of the goodness of his heart’ and because he felt it was ‘the right thing to do’.

The order was made in the Eastern Cape High Court (Port Elizabeth) after Watson consented to judgment against him for R23.4m if he did not come up with the R5m – in addition to all legal costs –before 19 July.

The group of Kings players went after Watson – as well as then EP rugby CEO Charl Crous, and former directors Shelley-Ann Baatjies and Vernon Stuurman – for the recovery of salaries owed to them after the liquidation of Eastern Province Rugby (Pty) Ltd failed to put very much back into their pockets.

Full Daily Dispatch report (subscription needed)