I am fascinated every day on how human beings seemingly go out of their way to derail any efforts to be successful.
It reminds me of a line in a movie, Terminator 2 to be exact, where Arnie tells young John Connor after witnessing two kids playing with guns and fighting; “It is in your nature to destroy yourself”.
Prophetic words specifically if we apply it to rugby and more specifically, South African rugby.
Internationally of course one could easily look at the IRB’s aim to turn rugby into a truly global sport. But then we witness how World Cups are awarded and the how the (so-called) processes are followed and it is quite simple to see why rugby globally is only competitive between 6 to possibly 8 teams of a total of well over 100 member nations.
In South Africa the challenges are even more significant as we have to consistently deal with government interference and how certain individuals want to deport Springbok rugby players who has been in the country for over 6 years.
But purely from a rugby administration perspective I am puzzled as to how, or why, we consistently limit ourselves from becoming a truly powerful rugby nation.
Of course most of it comes down to power struggles within rugby administration but given how South African rugby is structured and the decision making bodies are formed or managed, it is fascinating to note that some unions seemingly make decisions to the detriment of their own unions!
In 2009 the Bulls were hailed as the best provincial or club team in the world, and arguably the best Bulls team in the history of the union. Rightly so I believe.
The Bulls have basically dominated the new millennium on the local front and is still the only team from South Africa to win the Super rugby title – twice actually in 3 years.
The majority of their players are first choice Springboks too, who in itself have basically won everything they could wish to win in the past 3 to 4 years.
Their structures and depth is the envy of other unions and for now, it seems that all this will not change in the near future either.
But it could… And it has in the past…
Yesterday I read how Cheeky Watson is hoping to have something concrete from SA Rugby, or in writing with regards to the Kings and their future as a franchise, before the end of March.
Importantly the article also made mention of how elections for the new position of President of SA Rugby is coming up soon too.
Predictably the comments that followed centred around how the Kings should not expect hand-out’s, how they must fight their way to Super rugby recognition and how they will be an embarrassment to South African rugby.
‘The more things change,’ I thought…
Here we have a union like the Bulls, who is generally regarded as not only being the best in South Africa, but indeed the best provincial franchise in the world! Yet not even 8 to 10 years ago (when rugby was already a professional sport), this very same union was on the brink of total collapse.
For a period of about 3 years as we entered the new millennium the very same, all conquering Bulls could not even make the top 8 of the Currie Cup competition, behind unions like the Pumas, Boland, Griquas and the Falcons.
Their captain (Joost) slammed the coach (Heyneke Meyer) in public and through the media as being the reason the union experienced their worst season(s) in 65 years.
Players had to take pay-cuts of between 45% and 55%.
Senior players either walked out, or were not offered contracts – some of them even entertaining to join unions like the Pumas in a ‘anything but the Bulls’ type of attitude.
There were accusations of marginalising coloured and black players (a nice way of saying there were accusations of racism).
Predictably they never featured in the local Currie Cup, and hit an ultimate low when they lost 11 out of 11 matches in the Super 12 in 2002.
This under the management at the time in some way or form or capacity of Heyneke Meyer, and (now) CEO of the Bulls, Barend van Graan, who of course is still there and now local heroes.
And just look at them now.
Not even 10 years ago minnow unions like the Falcons, Boland, SWD and Pumas were real contenders for Currie Cup semi-finals, and the Bulls on the brink of disaster or total collapse. Ironically the Lions were a massive powerhouse at the time too… Today, unions like the Falcons cannot afford to pay players, Boland fighting one battle after the next, and the Bulls – well they are on the crest of a magnificent wave.
If all of this is possible, why do we continue to marginalise ourselves and each other?
I guess what I am asking is how do we measure which teams and unions are deserve certain allocations they are allowed, and which unions or teams don’t?
Why do we marginalise ourselves and each other when the margin between being on top, and being at the bottom is not that far apart at all?
Do we just allow the cycles to carry on as they have been for many decades? Or do we perhaps need to look at creating a methodology and structure to spread risk and wealth for the benefit of the game?
Will it even benefit the game?
I don’t know, but what I do know is that we are busy destroying ourselves, and we are seemingly content with it.
Maybe old Arnie is right, it is simply in our nature.
Wales…the current 7’s world champions ?
Back in the year 2000 the Bulls and Eastern province played the final of the first division (that was the year the players had a salary cut). Heyneke Meyer was the Super 12 coach and Eugen van Wyk was the CC coach. At that stage EP and the Bulls was of similar strength.
After the 2000 rugby season Heyneke Meyer was appointed as the coach of the Blue Bulls. Heyneke Meyer only then started to implement new structures at the BB.
The EP implemented a strategy of political transformation.
Today one can see the difference between the two structures.
By the way, WP, Sharks, Cheetahs and even the Lions follows more or less the structures that Heyneke Meyer implemented on 2001 at the Bulls.
There is a saying: If you fail to plan you plan to fail. Just look at EP.
My Pa het weer ‘n gesegde gehad… “As jy sukkel, dan word jy ‘n sukkelaar… so moenie sukkel nie!”
scrumdown @ 28
thanks for the reply …. i have to concede that i wasnt aware of the situation because of all the different nations that compete in the olympics under the flag of great britain.
my concern or my question rather why you thought the process was amateurish revolved around your comment that someone thats exposed to rugby for the first time wouldnt be aware that rugby is a sport that cater for people of all sizes, build and speed. i just wondered what you thought the IRB shouldve done different in that regard.
@ 33 gbs
Is dit hoekom jy nie vir die Stormers skree nie ? 😆
blouste @ 35
*&*^^^&^%^$%&^$$$$$$$^$^&$^%$^%^&%^%%
35@ Blouste – Etzakkerly!!
Man, laat ek dit so stel, ek is gebore in Pretoria, daar grootgeword, geskool, stout geword, geswot, gewerk… ek is ‘n Bul in murg en been, al my jare.
I have the body of an eighteen year old. I keep it in the fridge. 😉
Spike Milligan
GBS @12
Correct, we are a nation of talkers, with very few do’ers amongst us.
this is for all the bulls supporters. bet you cant figure this one out!!
****************************
“If your parents never had children, chances are you won’t either.”
–Dick Cavett
Q: If the dove is the bird of peace, what is the bird of true love?
A . The swallow .
@ 40 vir julle weepee manne…
What’s on your mind, if you will allow the overstatement?
I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
@32,
Correct, interesting factoid in 2001 Heyneke appointed Peter de Villiers as one of his assistants at the Bulls.
The Joost saga was at its peak then, Joost blaming Heyneke in public and even Naas stepping in at one stage telling the players to stop acting like spoilt brats.
It was also the stage when it was discovered Ruben Kruger had a brain tumor (?) and effectively called it a day.
40 @ Asbak – Kyk, as kakpraat ‘n kolletjie was, was jy volllllllll freegin sproete!
Boxing promoter Dan Duva on Mike Tyson hooking up again with promoter Don King: “Why would anyone expect him to come out smarter? After all, he spent three years in prison, not Princeton.”
blouste @ 42
😀 nice one … i’ll be on my way soon! 😉
Germs attack people where they are weakest. This explains the number of head colds.
@ 46 ash
He he he, you’re allowed to stay… 🙂
Q: What’s the definition of an Impotent Loser?
A: A guy who can’t even get his hopes up. 😆
Here is one for your Cheater supporters with regards to last years CC…
Q. What’s the difference between the All blacks and an arsonist?
A. An arsonist wouldn’t waste 5 matches.
😆 😆 😆
shyte, should read Cheetahs, not All Blacks 😳
ok, guys
off to lunch
see ya!!
A rugby referee died and went to heaven. Stopped by St Peter at the gates he was told that only brave people who had performed heroic deeds and had the courage of their convictions could enter. If the ref could describe a situation in his life where he had shown these characteristics, he would be allowed in.
“Well,” said the ref, “I was reffing a game between the Bulls and the Sharks at Loftus Versveld. The Bulls were 2 points ahead, 1 minute to go. The Sharks wing made a break, passed inside to his lock. The lock was driven on by his forwards, passed out to the flanker who ducked blind and went over in the corner. However, the flanker dropped the ball before he could ground it, and as the Sharks were clearly the better side all game, I ruled that he had dropped the ball down, not forward, and awarded the try.”
“OK, that was fairly brave of you, but I will have to check it in the book.” says Peter, and disappears to look it up. When he comes back he says “Sorry, there is no record of this. Can you help me to trace it? When did all this happen?”
The ref looked at his watch and replied “45 seconds ago.”
Cheers Ash…
Internet and Networks around the world is farked today…. seems we are one of the few sites that are running fast.
Damn, it’s frustrating, should have been in Midrand and Centurion and Pretoria already…. cant go till this clients updates are DONE…. flok!
gbs @ 55
hmmmm, kla jy
of
brag jy? 😉
I hate being in Korea. It means I always cathch the ass-end of any thread. But here we go, my 2-cents worth.
during the en of year tour (when the Boks did so badly) I posted an article on this site. I basically went on a rant saying the followning:
SARugby admin is so smittened with the Bulls thaht they would pick ANYBODY who played under the union, even if better players were left at home.
Consider the “mid-week” team cheat and you willl see what I mean. Guthro Steenkamp? Bandisu Maku? and then that little wing/scrumhalf?
Were was Jano Vermaak, Tiaan Liebenberg and Wian du Preez in the initial squad?
At a different time I posted a comment about how SARugby NEEDS the Kings. Just look at what the Grikwas (we also need them…) did for the CC in 2009. Now consider a CC were EVERY WEEK is a real battle, and not just a “bye” when you play teams like the Valke and so on.
Now consider the above article, and everything I posted earlier. It all agrees. Now, I am bt no means the end all and be all of SA Rugby. My word is not law by a LONG shot. BUT, what I can say is that I agree full heartedly with Morne. Basically its become a situation of baadjies for Boeties. I realise that there are a lot of Bulls fans on this site. And GOOD for you guys. Really. I hate the bleddie bulle (spoeg) but, you guys deserve ALL the credit that comes your way. ESPECIALLY after the horrid horrid horrid run you had a few years back. Building yourself up from that in itself is an amasing feat.
The blame should go to Hoskins and Co. They are runnig a dog show. Thhey are spineless and should start acting like SARUGBY, not as “whoever is the best SA-team of the year representatives”.
Saru needs to pump money into the King, Grikwas and Cheetahs (in that order) to insure a strong domestic sompetition, and thus a strong SA side. If the CC is strong, the following S14 will be strong and the Boks will be strong. Nough said.
I therefore really feel that the Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Cheetas (FS and Grikwas) can do well in this years S14, based on how hard last years CC was (the final 4 was not settled until the last round/match).
2 cents served
57-Green
Jano Vermaak was injured.
Tiaan Liebenberg is a fair call ,I also rate him highly, but I think it’s a bit unfair to say the SA Rugby is smittened with the Bulls.
The Bulls don’t select the squad nad as far as I know the guy with the biggest influence, or that’s the idea I get is the coach ( sure there’s a selection panel , but I think the coach have a heavy influence ),and as far as I know his more of a Cape region supporter.
Fact is, the team that does well will almost always have a heavy reprensation percentage wise in the squad.
And to be fair,,,
F Hougaard ( considering Vermaak was inured ) were played out of position the whole season last year.
But he is a HUGE talent and even F du Preez tipped him to be the next springbok scrummie
It is no secret that Peter de Villiers is quite close to the Bulls.
No problem in my view, the Bulls are the one union that supports him the most.
It is a give and take situation.
Obviously Peter will favour working with people, that work with him (not against him). Other unions and franchises should get off their high horses and start working towards a national cause.
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