What could be better than a double Super 14-semi weekend in South Africa? An all South Africa final in Soweto of course!
I am not one for fake or plastic marketing campaigns like the one currently on the go with the theme; “The Bulls in the Hood”.
Neither am I convinced that moving the game to Soweto for the semi-finals (and possible final) will do that much for rugby amongst black people in this country either.
After-all, the move was not conceived through an idea or some outreach or development program with honest intentions at heart, it was necessary because the game of roundball has turned our country upside down.
What does excite me however is the fact the rugby supporting and playing public will be removed from their perceived comfort zones and shown how the beautiful game of rugby union can cross all boundaries where success is not necessarily restricted to the tried and tested, the known or our own perceived fortresses, but that it belongs to all South Africans.
Although we all share a common passion for the game of rugby union, there still exist a sense of entitlement and ownership amongst a large portion of the supporting and playing public.
To this day when a traditionally white club has to travel to a traditionally coloured or black club, plans are made with military precision on how big the travelling convoy will be, what times you plan to enter and exit said warzones and contingency plans, if necessary, are formulated. Similarly, the other way around plans are made for how you will get the back-up regiments on location to provide support in numbers because it is still, us versus them even though we all just play the game.
I know this because I have been in both camps, and it would have been bloody funny if it was not so bloody sad.
Of course this is not just a rugby thing, it is a South African thing – we simply hate leaving our comfort zones.
It robs us of so much though.
The times when these perceptions were changed, when I saw and insisted that the team stays for a drink with their opposite number, share a Boerie Roll afterwards and talk about their heroes (this was at club level) and their teams they support the brotherhood of rugby shone through. Friendships were forged, perceptions rubbished, all through the common passion we all share, the game of rugby union.
So as much as I cannot get myself to thank the Blue Bulls Rugby Union for moving the game to Soweto since they were actually forced to do so, I must commend the union and the players for embracing this situation creating an expectation of awe around the event, not forgetting the supporters who have sold out the stadium within hours getting into the hype themselves.
A lot of perceptions will be rubbished this weekend when Soweto welcomes the Bulls and their supporters with open arms, and the only thing left for me to ask, is for both our teams to win their respective games, and have the final for the premier rugby tournament in the world, to be hosted in Soweto. And who better to host it than the two traditional powerhouses of SA Rugby!
Make us proud.
Well said pismier….
Mmmm, ek wil met jou verskil Morne, ‘n final op Nuweland gaan vir my BAAAAIE lekkerder wees!! 😆
KP ek sien jy is al weer anti Bul.
Australiee reken die finaal gaan daar wees.
Nie anti bul nie, net pro Stormer.
En kom nou, Nuweland is beslis ‘n baie beter en lekkerder stadium as Orlando!
http://blogs.sport24.co.za/uysh/they-are-starting-to-pop-up-everywhere
Kyk wat is oor van die WP se jeans nadat die Bulls se tweedes en Bakkies hulle gegaffel het, moet se hulle girls laat daai verineweerde jeans goed lyk aan hul lyfies.
Nee hel King daar moet sommige ouens nog staan daar is nog nie genoeg stoele nie.
hi Morne you sound a bit negative. I think it will do allot for rugby and for the SA public. How it was conceived is not important, what is important is that it is happening and we need to embrace it. No one forced BBC to choose Soweto, but they did for various reasons. Fifa did not force them out of Loftus.
I think a thank you to the BBC is in order.
Innkeeper: The room is $15. a night. It’s $5. if you make your own bed.
Guest: I’ll make my own bed.
Innkeeper: Good. I’ll get you some nails and wood.
When I was young I used to pray for a bike, then I realized that God doesn’t work that way, so I stole a bike and prayed for forgiveness.
‘n Terroris stap by ‘n pet shop in.
Hy sit ‘n bom op die toonbank neer en skree: “julle het 60 sekondes om
hier uit te kom!!!”
‘n Skilpad skree uit die agterkant van die winkel: “Jis, jys n doos!”
I see in future a Super 14 final at Soccer City filled with 90 000 supporters of witch 40 000 will be residents of Orlando. Imagine that, 80 000 Blue flags, no vuvuzelas but classic Bull horns, what a dream… Great groundbreaking move by the Bulls.
@ superBul:
Imagine 90000 people at a rugby game. I think it might just happen.
@ rugbybal:
From an article earlier this year:
The move was made necessary as Loftus Versfeld, the Bulls home ground, is a FIFA World Cup venue and therefore cannot be used for the play-off rounds of the Super 14. There is no other stadium in Pretoria which can hold the capacity crowd for such a match, and the closest rugby ground – Ellis Park – is also a FIFA World Cup venue.
From the article above:
I must commend the union and the players for embracing this situation creating an expectation of awe around the event, not forgetting the supporters who have sold out the stadium within hours getting into the hype themselves.
Gave thanks where it is due.
12@ Morné:
sold out?
i thought there were still over 2000 tickets available?
o, and gooooooooooooooooooodmorning everyone!!
SuperB 😀 Here is one for you :
Paddy is planning to marry, he is, and asks his family doctor how he could tell if his bride-to-be is still a virgin. His doctor says, “Aye, Paddy, all Irish use three things for what we call a Do-It-Yourself…. Virginity Test Kit…. a small can of red paint, a small can of blue paint and a shovel.” Paddy asks, “Aye, and what do I do with these things, doctor?” The doctor replies, “Before ye climb into bed on your wedding night, you paint one of your balls red and the other ball blue. If she says, “That’s the strangest pair of balls I ever did see …”, well, then you hit her with the shovel.
Hoekom het Pretoria nie soos die ander groot stede (Durban, Slaapstad), ‘n nuwe sokkerstadion gekry nie ?
2@ KingPaul:
😆
now THAT was well said!!
@ bdb:
Hulle was slim, hulle het die tax ou se geld gevat en hulle rugby stadium opgradeer!!!
princess @ 14
lmao
good one!!
An 80-year-old Scotsman goes to the doctor for a check-up.
The doctor is amazed at what good shape the guy is in and asks, ”How do you stay in such great physical condition?”
“I’m Scottish and I am a golfer,” says the old guy, ”and that’s why I’m in such good shape. I’m up well before daylight and out golfing up and down the fairways. I have a wee glass of whisky, and all is well.”
”Well,” says the doctor, ”I’m sure that helps, but there’s got to be more to it. How old was your Dad when he died?’
”Who said my Dad’s dead?”
The doctor is amazed. ”You mean you’re 80 years old and your Dad’s still alive. How old is he?”
”He’s 100 years old,” says the old Scottish golfer. ”In fact he golfed with me this morning, and then we went to the topless beach for a walk and had another wee dram and that’s why he’s still alive. He’s Scottish and he’s a golfer, too.”
”Well,” the doctor says, ”that’s great, but I’m sure there’s more to it than that. How about your Dad’s dad? How old was he when he died?’
”Who said my grandad’s dead?”
Stunned, the doctor asks, ”You mean you’re 80 years old and your grandfather’s still living! Incredible, how old is he?”
”He’s 118 years old,” says the old Scottish golfer.
The doctor is getting frustrated at this point, ”So, I guess he went golfing with you this morning too?”
”No. Grandad couldnae go this mornin’ because he’s getting married today.”
At this point the doctor is close to losing it. ”Getting married?? Why would a 118 year-old guy want to get married?”
”Who said he wanted to?”
17@ Morné: wat gaan met daardie nuwe stadions gebeur in die kaap en in durbs na die sokker ?
Bullshit…. this game in Soweto, whether enforced of voluntary, is doing a massive lot for rugby in SA and for the Bulls.
Bulls rugby jerseys are selling like hot-cakes in Soweto and in all Black Townships around here…. why, else?
See, the thing is, the Bulls did not stop at choosing Orlando Stadium, they openly embraced and supported Bafana Bafana… wore the Bafana shirts on their way overseas… invited Bafana Bafana to attend the Bulls / Saders match at Loftus 2 weeks ago…
Face it, the Bulls are the frontrunner in embracing and crossing boundaries in SA, I am proud of them!
The Bulls could have selected Royal Bafokeng Stadium, or Pam Brink Stadium in Springs… fact was that Orlando Stadium was the best venue around…. and the Bulls embraced the idea…
You know what is hilarious, how difficult it is for all Non-Bulls to give credit where credit is due… there always has to be a “Thanks and Congrats, BUT this and BUT that” attached to a compliment. In the case of this Article, “Well done Bulls and Players BUT you were forced to anyway”
It’s absurd, negative, laughable….. dispickable!
An Irish priest was transferred to Ballina Catholic Church. Father O’Malley rose from his bed one morning. It was a fine spring day in his new Ballina Head parish. He walked to the window of his bedroom to get a deep breath of the beautiful day outside. He then noticed there was a donkey lying dead in the middle of his front lawn. Not knowing who else to call, he promptly called the local police station. The conversation went like this: ”Good morning. This is Sergeant Jones. How might I help you?” “And the best of the day ter yer good self. This is Father O’Malley at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. There’s a donkey lying dead right in der middle of me front lawn ” Sergeant Jones, considering himself to be quite a wit, replied with a smirk, “Well now Father, it was always my impression that you people took care of the last rites!” There was dead silence on the line for a long moment and then Father O’Malley replied: “Ah, ‘to be sure, that is true; but we are also obliged to notify the next of kin.”
GBS
But … Everyone has their own perspective & is entitled to it … right ? & unlike other websites this is a progressive website where everyone may express their opinion … right ?
I think the onyl way not to start a fight in the next 2 weeks is to tell jokes & keep one’s rugger opines to oneself 😀
Ash
If the Stormers win will you be streaking at Newlands ? 😯
@ bdb:
Wel die Kaap het twee premier liga sokker spanne, en die company wat dit bestuur het Morne du Plessis onder hulle geledere so ek reken hulle sal planne he – maar soveer dit my aangaan sal die Kaap stadion maar meestal vir sokker gebruik word en die odd rugby exhibition game soos vroeer die jaar.
Durban…
Wel daar is a bietjie kak.
Anders as Nuweland besit die Sharks nie ABSA stadion nie en huur dit by die munisipaliteit. Die munisipaliteit in Durbs however wil he hulle moet Kings Park los en die nuwe stadium gebruik…
Al wat in die Sharks se guns tel, is hulle kontrak met die current stadion het nog n hele ruk om te gaan.
WP rugby besit Nuweland so het nie daai probleem nie, niemand kan hulle forseer om te gaan nie.
@ grootblousmile:
Ag get of your trolley.
They could not choose Pam Brink because it is not up to standard for Super 14 rugby.
Royal Bafokeng is in another province completely and comparitively 60km further drive from PTA than what Soweto is.
They were left with little choice and logic prevailed.
Given the logistics and the fact that the World Cup is around the corner there was no better option than Orlando stadium.
The way they did it and how they embraced a situation they were forced into was commendable but fuck knows if people can even look beyond an honest and straight forward compliment I give up.
Nice article on the same topic:
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Welcome-to-Soweto-Bulls-20100520
Die dominee sien ‘n seuntjie in die voorportaal van die kerk wat aandagtig na ‘ n groot gedenkplaat teen die muur staan en kyk. Dit was oortrek met name en daar was klein landsvlaggies weerskante.
Toe loop die dominee nader, kom staan langs die seuntjie, en sê saggies: “Goeiemore my seun.”
“Môre, Dominee,” sê hy, met sy oë nog vasgenael op die plaat.
“Dominee, wat is dit hierdie?” vra hy.
Die dominee antwoord: “Wel, my seun, dit is ‘n gedenkplaat vir al die jongmanne wat in die diens gesterf het.”
In doodse stilte en met groot eerbied staan die twee voor die plaat en staar na die name.
Uiteindelik, in ‘n skaars hoorbare stemmetjie en bewend van vrees vra die seuntjie: “Watter diens, Dominee? Die oggend- of die aanddiens?”
@ Morné:
Morne, who owns Loftus ?
Different situation to Durbs or to the Cape, or maybe inbetween ?
Mmmmm, perceptions, perceptions…. the match won’t do much for rugby amongst black people in SA… what utter bile!
Watch tomorrow and learn… hell, come visit Soweto with us Bulls tomorrow and learn…
Speak to the hordes now buying Bulls jerseys…
Tell little Dennis and 17-year old Innocent that it does not matter that they’ve just acquired Bulls jerseys and that I should’nt take it with me so that some Bulls players may sign it for them…
I’m looking forward to the Vibe at Orlando tomorrow, I’m looking forward to watching the foremost SA Team play the foremost NZ Team. I’m looking forward to the lasting legacy this game will leave in SA, win or lose to the Bulls….
Plastic marketing campaigns…. kak man!
Fact is, the Bulls have just become Honorary “Pirates”… and the folks just love them for it!
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