“Make a public apology or we won’t speak to you again.”
That is the ultimatum that the Springbok team have issued Australian TV company Fox Sports after coach Peter de Villiers was called a clown during the company’s rugby programme, The Rugby Club.
Former Wallaby hooker Brendan Cannon said in a discussion on Wednesday night about the upcoming Test between the Springboks and Wallabies that De Villiers is a clown.
“I can’t believe that senior players like John Smit and Victor Matfield allow themselves to be controlled by this guy. He is a clown. He surely does not coach the team,” said Cannon.
A number of De Villiers’s most controversial statements from the past were mentioned, with each panel member belittling him.
Springbok spokesperson Anthony Mackaiser said that it was decided then that enough is enough.
“I spoke to the executive producer of the programme and we are demanding an immediate apology. They have no right to talk about our coach that way and we view it in poor taste and a very negative light,” he said.
Mackaiser said they had informed the station that no Springbok player or member of management would speak to Fox until Cannon has apologised on air.
If Cannon does not do it, no interviews will be possible in the build-up programmes prior to Saturday’s Test.
Fox are the local affiliate of Newscorp, who owe the TV rights for the Tri-Nations and as such have certain preferential rights. One of them is interviews in the build-up to a Test.
As in New Zealand, De Villiers is a popular topic in the local media, who are painting the Boks as a bunch of undisciplined bullies.
A report in The Australian earlier in the week referred to De Villiers as an “extremely unpredictable man”.
The attack follows several similar attempts by TV stations and newspapers in New Zealand to belittle De Villiers.
His relationship with the international media on tours has never been good, but the comment by Cannon is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Meanwhile, Rugby Heaven columnist Greg Growden has described the Bok coach as rugby’s own Richard Pryor. He described De Villiers as a “part-time Springbok coach and full-time comedian”.
@ Ashley:
Ja, ek sien jou ook!
Wat het met my Sharks gebeur gistraand? 27-17 is mos maar swak teen die Pumas.
@ Snoek:92 – Snoek, Yip think we never played well. Just read on Sharksworld. Someone was at the game there and gave a running detail of the game. Was spitting mad at dstv for not showing the game.
Pleased we won and with a bonus. Never thought we would have struggled against the Pumas but seems we did. Go to Sharksworld and read there. Look to the left in blue for the thread.
Now how our Boks play better today too.
@ Puma:93 – typo 😯 last line – how = hope.
Puma@76
I think the boytjies will pull it through mate….well, I hope so anyway. I think our teams experience will win them through after a slow start. I can’t see Auz putting us under as much pressure as NZ, who clealry did their homework and outsmarted us. Boks will have learned from that…I hope.
Go Bokke!!!!
Thanks Puma, i will have a look. Sharks seem to leave their best for the top teams, and then struggle against the weaker teams.
@ bos_otter:
I just hope the players are focused on the game, and not the ref, Div and home.
@ Old Griquas 14 in Sydney:
Good luck to your team
@ bos_otter:95 – Bos, I hope so. Though we had the wrong selections in those games. So hoping with Ruan at scrumhalf we can do better. Just a bit worried about our loose trio. They could surprise us though. Also not sure if we should play a attacking game against Oz. Anyhow just hope we can win this one.
Now going to the Oz/Bok thread. See everyone there.
@ rugbybal:
Thanks mate, and good luck to the boks too.
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