Luyt tries to dismiss Griffiths

The infamously megalomaniac tendencies of Louis Luyt, president of the South African Rugby Football Union, were reasserted in astounding fashion yesterday when he tried to dismiss Edward Griffiths, who has been an outstanding success as Sarfu's chief executive, writes Steve Bale.

Luyt is best remembered for insulting the All Blacks and Ed Morrison, the English referee, after the World Cup final in Johannesburg last June - gaffes which generated ill-feeling that Griffiths did more than anyone to assuage. It is being suggested ominously in South Africa that he is being penalised for placing too much emphasis on developing the game among the non-white majority.

Griffiths, an English-born former journalist who became a speech-writer for Michael Howard, now the Home Secretary, was Luyt's own appointee 10 months ago, making it all the stranger that there has been no explanation for the fax he received from Luyt sacking him. Last night a Sarfu statement declared that Griffiths had refused to accept his dismissal and had requested an urgent meeting of the Sarfu executive at which to "answer any charges which may be brought against him".