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 Morne,
This Bulls supporter liked your article, it is written from a non-Bulls supporter, and it could have been a lot worse. Obviously I would have written it differently, but I believe you did the better job.
Good luck to you team tomorrow and hope to see you in Soweto one week hence.
@ Blouste:
Hi Blouste, Percy may want to see a friendly face on these shores!! 🙂
I will volunteer to cheer him up, it is about time I actually met him!!
@ Hokaai:
Thanks dude, and I am praying for a Soweto final because I am looking forward to one hell of a party next weekend!
Blouste
No, I am a Kiwi – we grown up enough to say congrats to the other team. If Graham Henry can walk to the French dressing room in 2007 & congratulate them I can come on here 😀
Also, I doubt “years” is what you meant … Saders know how to bounce back – can you say the same of the Bulls ? 😉
@ Rugby_Princess:
Well, if we look at the last couple of years I would say YES !!! 😀
@ Rugby_Princess:
“No, I am a Kiwi – we grown up enough to say congrats to the other team.”
Exactly !!! Thats why I say, get in order so long…
Easier to copy and paste when you are in mourning 😉
I would love to see a lot of black faces at the Bulls game, i think they would love it and some would be influenced maybe to encourage their children to try rugby.
I know their are a lot of poor people in Soweto but their are also many with money that can afford the tickets and i think because of the novelty of the game being played their they might want to go and watch.
I REALLY HOPE THEY DO.
#41 Morne,
I don’t believe that its accurate to claim that this site is where Bulls supporters gather. If those people had claimed that this a site frequented by hyper-sensitive Bulls supporters, then yes , I would have agreed….
But then in defence of the hyper-sensitive Bull supporters that hang out here I must also admit that they are baited relentlessly by the Stormers (mostly Ash) and other teams’ supporters.
After all, there’s only so much bull a Bull can handle, ne? 😉
@ fender:
Ah yes but Ashley is a sweetie and they give him a hard time as well, and none of it is ever ugly or vindictive from either side. 😎
Its us poor Sharks that get kukked on all the time, a little sympathy please 😥
fender @ 68
YOU write about hyper sensitive bulls supporters and then I get the blame? 😯
threehugger @ 69
thanks hugs, but you’ll get me in trouble jong!
my wife’s gonna ask me i’m walking around with such a big grin, lol
ooooo, she’s gonna go through my drawers again!! 😆
@ Morné:
So what you are saying is that Fifa hijacked Loftus and forced the Bulls out. Like I said it was their choice (a financial one) to rent out the stadium.
The Bulls had to choose temporary home form two stadiums and a cricket ground. They were not forced to opt for Orlando stadium contrary to you comment below.
“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,…”
@ Morné:
@35 Shit Morne, then what do you suggest the Bulls should have done? Please I would like to know.
@41 Ag shame
@ Ashley:
😆 😆 😆
#70 Ash,
Broer, I was caught between a bull and hard place.
If I claimed that it was me who was always giving the Bulls fans a hard time, it would sound like I was bragging. So, please see it as a huge compliment…. 😉
@ fender:
fender bender, gooi mielies soos GBS se. I love the banter.
fender @ 74
ag, the bulls arent very bright bru
they wouldnt have known the difference!! 😉
..
you stocked up for the game?
@ Rugby_Princess:
Hahaha, well said!
74/76: ek sien julle twee capies sit nou julle foto’s saam met julle boodskappe. Lyk my julle is ‘n identiese tweeling, praat ewe veel twak ook. 😀
loftus or orlando…is just cement and seats….. Its the people……….nou die blou!!!!
Die bulle kom vir julle…almal skryf die bulle af dis waneer ons ons beste rugby speel……..
79@ Durban Bulle: Well said… whether it’s Loftus or Orlando… much of a muchness… same crowd, same atmosphere..
Morné wrote:
Agreed, well said!
Hopefully the Bulls pull this one through, tough as it may be… giving us a second opportunity at Orlando Stadium as well.. building even more on broadening the game.
My older brother, Kruppelbroer, phoned me today and we spoke at length about the semi’s and a possible final. Well it appears that even though he is a season ticket holder at Loftus, he’s unable to attend tomorrow at Orlando due to deadlines which have to be met by the 25th of May. You see, because of his disability (motor bike crash nearly 2 years ago) he’s had a complete change of Occupation, now being one of SA’s foremost Impressionist Artists & Sculptors, which was only a hobby before…
This has led to him wanting to formally study Fine Arts as well and get his degree (he already has 2 other degrees, one from Tuks, one from Rau (UJ)), which he is now doing in the day at TUT, where he has made friends with a number of Sepedi classmates and because he is fully Sepedi lingual, the friendships came naturally.
Sepedi, for those outside SA, is one of the black languages in SA.
He hopes for a Bulls win this weekend, not only to reach the final we so desperately want but also to enable him to take 3 of his Sepedi friends with him to the Final next week…. and they are looking forward to this…
How rugby support and our daily lives have changed in less than one generation….
The future of this country is great, considering the spirit shown with events like these and the happenings and friendships forged because of rugby….
The effects of events like this is long lasting… one just has to look at one No 6 jersey which was worn in 1995 and still revered till today, to tell the doubters that the effect is indeed permanent!
This event is not only one jersey, it is not only one team…. it is also 40 000 fans PLUS all residents of Soweto, who will be affected by this for the rest of their lives….
No need to make this out as minor…. it speaks volumes of jealousy!
Cant wait to be there myself…… Really hope the Bulls win this one so i will have the chance to be there next week for the final…Think its going to be magic…. Fans closer to the field, the roof that goes right around the stadium will also keep the sound inside the stadium gonna be louder than loftus… Shame Crusdars think this is not going to be like Loftus, i think its going to be louder and even more intimidating.
DIE BULLE KOM VIR JULLE!!!
Hoop net die stormers bring hulle kant ook.
@ grootblousmile:
@ Durban Bulle:
I like, I like….Ek sien baie uit na die game. Hoe awesome sal dit nie wees om twee agtereenvolgende naweeke in Soweto te speel nie. GBS jy is reg, dis groundbraking stuff van die BBC.
84@ rugbybal: Balle, dis maar moeilik vir ander om te erken…. bitter moeilik…
I think I must take a number of photo’s and a bit of video of my journey tomorrow… the journey by Media Bus into Soweto, the crowds outside and on the streets, the crowd and street scenes afterwards…
Then place it on here on Sunday….
@Rugbybal wens net ek kan deel wees daar van volgende week kan nie meer wag nie!!!!
86@ Durban Bulle: Deben, jy kan maar die Reply Button gebruik vir die “@Bloggernick”…. dis daai pyltjie ding hieronder links… die regterkantste ene is die Quote funksie…
aan die bulls en stormers good luck ouens hou sa se naam hoog
14
@ Rugby_Princess:
RP, thanks i did enjoy.:lol:
@ rugbybal:
@ grootblousmile:
What could/should they have done?
Exactly what they are doing now.
Why?
It is quite simple.
Financially they would have been stupid not to sign an agreement with FIFA months ago not knowing if they even would have made the play-off’s. Rugby is a business, and from a business perspective this was a no brainer.
What were their options?
Well unless they wanted to move this game to Rustenburg who holds as many supporters (around the 40 000 mark) their only option was Orlando stadium.
Why Orlando?
Well that is even a no-brainer.
Bosman Stadium and Pam Brink can only host about 20 000 supporters, that would have covered their season ticket and suite holders only I imagine which makes it a financial brain-dead decision.
From a marketing perspective what better stadium than Orlando, to ride on the back of the hype around the Soccer World Cup?
So financially, logically and marketing the Bulls brand this as quite an easy decision.
So your question, were they forced into this decision – yes they were, even if by their own doing to make money which there is nothing wrong with.
Did they make the right decision – of course.
But here is my issue with plastic marketing.
Too many times have I personally experienced the hype surrounding ‘promoting’ rugby in black communities is that its not sustainable. Simply because what the Bulls did just now was for no-one but the Bulls for all the reasons mentioned above. The same as if the Stormers had to move their match to Athlone stadium.
But since they did not my opinion is seen as anti-Bulls and not that of what is wrong with rugby development in this country as a whole.
The positive, which I mentioned is that they might have stumbled onto something far bigger than they have realised. And that the positiveness in which they embraced this and marketed this is highly commendable because it removes ingrained perceptions in our lovely game.
Believe it or not, my opinions are never targeted (to individuals or teams) but more towards the global, or national problem (in this case) that exists.
No-one could be happier about the game, and hopefully the final being played in Soweto, which is why I hope the Bulls kick ass tomorrow.
I am a pessimist yes, my own fellow supporters label me as such but I continue to live in hope.
My criticism is not against the Bulls – it is against the Bulls, Stormers, Sharks and all 14 unions of SA Rugby including and most importantly, pointing the finger at SA Rugby themselves for ‘taking this game to the people’.
So the ‘reasons’ surrounding this event I label as plastic marketing.
The absolute passion in which this has been embraced with by the players and union and its supporters, is fuckin phenominal because essentially, we are the voice of rugby.
So take a bow you blue avatars – like the song goes, ‘Make the (Bulls) Circle Bigger’ and ‘Show dem’ what this great game is all about tomorrow, and God willing next Saturday when I will join you.
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