I understand there are certain sensitive user’s on this forum, I have therefore censored my original image but feel free to view the uncensored version on http://blogs.sport24.co.za/uysh/i-shaved-my-balls-for-this
Balls…that’s what we want! SARU has failed to show any by just allowing things to deteriorate in the Springbok camp. The ANC fails to show any to shut the trap of that idiotic Julius Malema. Afriforum tries their best to dangle theirs around in public, only to be kicked in it by the likes of Andre Venter. Oregan Hoskins failed to show any when their sponsor told them they are too slow on transformation in the Currie Cup, so he jumped on the Union bosses and told them to get the numbers up.
Ahhh yes….there is no quotas…or what are the words they use? No “official” quotas. As I’ve alluded to in a previous post, there are “Official” quotas they are just not aptly named, rather disguised as transformation targets. To get the representation on all levels of Rugby by changing its demographic profile. It’s there, in their transformation charter, page 41.
And if we want someone with balls to run our rugby, we might not need to look further than Maria Ramos….well, she did say she has the right to do so….just a pity she is not doing so in the right way, by getting rid of incompetence. Instead she promotes is.
She has balls!
Balls – Maria has them!
So, ABSA still has issues with the number of black players at Currie Cup level. I do not think that the right question is being asked. We need to ask the right questions. Why has a strategy that has been implemented in 2006 not delivered results? I mean, this transformation charter, or disguised quota system, has been in place since 2006, yet, seemingly, it has not achieved its targets, if ABSA is to believed.
There can be several reasons for this failure. My opinion is that the single biggest reason for not achieving the targets of getting rugby to represent the demographics of the country, is simply because the order of priorities are incorrect.
We all agree that there simply isn’t so many black kids playing rugby as there are black kids playing soccer. That’s why black representation in soccer is 99% of the players. So, where do we find all the black players who are firstly playing rugby and secondly GOOD ENOUGH to play at Currie Cup level? Do we poach them from soccer?
See, the first objective of the charter is to get more black players to play rugby at all levels. Now that’s easy to achieve, just get all the black players in the country together, split them up into 11 groups of 15 and there you have it, 11 provincial rugby teams with 15 black players. I am sure we can find enough black players to do so! And if all the Unions do it, then there will be no competitive disadvantage because everyone will share from the same pot. And then ABSA will be happy to sponsor a competition where the stands are full of empty seats, merely because the players on the field are not selected because they are the best in their respective positions for the provincial squad, but because they are chosen to keep the sponsor happy. How such an approach will change anything, I don’t know. What use is the Currie Cup if no one is watching? Except maybe Maria Ramos and Julius Malema. Or will the masses who are shouting and screeming for more black players go to the games and pay three times the price for a Bafana Bafana game and support rugby then? And will there be countless blacks who will finally start to support the Springboks instead of the All Blacks, simply because all the rugby players in this country is black? Is that what you want?
The second objective of the transformation charter is to promote equitable access to infrastructure and related participation opportunities and activities on and off the field of play.
Why is this not the first objective? I mean, first get your structures in place and then everything else will fall in place!!
Can ABSA put their money where their mouths are and do something about the equitable access? Here we are not only talking about a rugby field, a few balls and four rugby posts. We are talking access so that all people from all walks of life can see and watch Rugby. Getting it to the demographics of the country.
Do we really think that little black kids in rural areas who have loads of athletic talent knows what Rugby is or have ever seen a rugby game being played? Without more than a hundred years of heritage of the game so that their parents and teachers can educate them in the game (after they get over the perception that it is a white man’s only game) how will those kids know about rugby, nevermind playing it? Not TV, because Supersport has exclusive rights to the Currie Cup and you have to pay R600 per month, have a TV, dish and decoder and electricity to watch a single Currie Cup match. And then you have to hope and pray someone doesn’t come and steal it from you. And stab you for your rugby boots so they can go and play soccer with it.
Can ABSA put their money where their mouths are and facilitate getting rugby to the whole public so that we can get more black kids interested in playing rugby? Do they have the balls to do it? The cahonas? Or are they merely playing a game of words?
It is ironic that in a year when a major test match was hosted near Soweto and 5000 blacks could get their tickets for a fraction of the price as opposed to the price white people had to pay, in a year that two major Super 14 matches were held in Soweto, and in a year where we’ve perhaps seen the most black players in the Currie Cup play AND excel, we get such harsh criticism from the Sponsors. It is in fact, a black player who sparked the resurgence of the Lions, who have perhaps seen the most spectators on Saturday since the last test match held there. But it isn’t good enough. We need to force more black players into positions where they are not ready for.
We have Lwazi Mvovo who along with another black player, Bjorn Basson, are the top try scorers in the Currie Cup this year. In that same team we have a black Odwa Ndungane and a black Beast Mtwarirra. We have Guthro Steenkamp shining for the Bulls and Chilliboy Ralepelle finally playing more than 3 games in a season. At WP we have the delightful Juan de Jongh, Gio Aplon and Conrad Jantjies, at Free State Jongi Nokwe and Ashley Johnson. In fact, the past weekend featured at least 30 black players. Yes, I know it is not in line with demographics in this country, but does ABSA honestly think that there are 130 black players (only 70% of 8 full rugby squads) in this country who are good enough for Currie Cup, the so-called flag ship, crown jewels of SA rugby? More like it will become Maria’s crown jewels!
The problem is not to get the players into the Currie Cup. The problem is before that, at grass roots level. I don’t care if all the players in the Currie Cup are black, but they must be there on merit. If they are not, who will watch it?
Why ABSA has suddenly decided to tackle this highly sensitive issue is very suspicious. This on the eve of them perhaps sponsoring the Springboks. I still suspect they might use it as an excuse to get out of the Currie Cup and to push those funds into the Springboks rather. Maybe that, or maybe their BEE rating is suffering because they spend such a small percentage of their expenditure in a sponsorship of an event which is not majority black representative.
It’s times like these where I actually think, f*ck this. Let’s put all the black rugby playing people in the country into the Currie Cup teams and let it just be. Let the powers that be do what they want. I will watch the New Zealand ANZ competition and will watch our top talents perform in the European leagues, because that is where the top white players will go if they are substituted with black players for the sake of transformation. I will then support the All Blacks instead of the Springboks, just like our black brothers who still cherish the thoughts of the Springboks representing white people. Just tell our white players there are no place for them and give them the opportunity to make a life for themselves where they are wanted. Don’t give them any false hope.
In such a case, transformation will just be a politically correct way of saying discrimination, or racism. A new apartheid. And don’t come with this crap of “righting the wrongs of the past”. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Do the right things, and do them right. Then we will see equity and representation at the right levels.
Touchy subject…. but handled well enough, I believe.
I expect EVERYBODY to be careful and respectful when discussing this Article, to be sensitive to our SA reality…. and to behave.
Perhaps ABSA should show us all these talented players of colour who are of standard that can be picked week in and week out for the CC / S15 and Boks. The truth is that there are only so many talented players of all colours who are good enough to make it. More white people play rugby therefore there will be more white players in the teams.
Lets be fair: due to quota’s [or targets or whatever they are now called] there have been far to many Khaya Molotana’s, Owen Nkumane’s, Quinten Davids’s, and Solly Tybilika’s.
Real talent will always come through, look at the names mentioned in the article and add the hooker from the Lions, Fudge Mabeta etc etc.
THIS IS A GENUINE QUESTION :
Can someone explain to me why SARU insists on transforming top down instead of bottom up ? To an outsider, it seems not logical, ethical or even a wee bit smart. Surely the natural progression is School rugby, University /or Club rugby, Currie Cup rugby, Super XX rugby, then ultimately Springbok rugby (7s or 15s). By transforming from the grass roots up you have built a solidly senior player base & have a pipeline feeding your Springboks with superior, well trained talent.
South African Rugby will have the friends, families & communities of these up & coming younger players of colour onboard as they will want to support their favourite sons (or daughters) ergo you open up entire communities to the sport. With this interest comes business opportunities for everyone from the player him(or her)self, their friends, families to the wider communities. At which time you have established a natural progression of boyhood –to- manhood rugby, not to mention the assistance & mentoring programs that go with achievement.
Transformation will have occurred through the development of extraordinary, natural talent – irrespective of skin colour. Every player in the national squad will know to his very core that he is present because he is simply the best, nothing could breed more pride than that.
So, back to my original question – why did the SARU insist on transforming top down instead of bottom up ?
Rugby_Princess wrote:
The intention was from bottom up but this nation is a impatient one who knows one way of getting what they want mass action and protest. How we will ever get discipline back no one knows. A thing called “affirmative action” means in SA get the demographics right first, then worry about competence.
@ superBul:
So, failure guaranteed then, shame.
3@ Rugby_Princess:
Because transformation is window dressing, they want to show transformation is actually working by putting quotas in the teams that feature on television and where the whole world can see through the television “window” that we have truly turned into a multicultural sport.
What they won’t realise or admit, is that window dressing has no substance.
Absa is doing exactly the same.
Who bought them again, Barclays?
I’ve said it many times and I’ll keep on saying it.
The whole issue of “transformation” is BS. THERE IS NO DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING.
Development leads to NATURAL transformation.
As far as “black” school Rugby is concerned, let me tell you a true life experience.
As chairman of a “coloured” club with only 1 high school in the community we decided to do some marketing in the East Rand townships of Katlehong, Tokoza, Zonkezizwe etc.
The net result was that we attracted a number of young “black” kids from a couple of schools close by the club.
After a season of learning the game at the club one of the youngsters proudly told me that they had ±30 players in his school, all of whom had bought their own boots and a few balls.
He was sure that more would take up the sport if we could arrange a few clinics, and asked if would be possible to approach the Union to which we were affiliated.
I responded in the positive and duly approached our Union.
“Absolutely not.” was the firm reply. “Black schools in Ekuruleni have to affiliate to the Valke, so under no circumstances can we do any clinics there.”
Needless to say both I and the youngsters were disappointed.
About a month later it was the annual “bosberaad”, and guess what, I clever chap from SARU gave the club’s representatives a long lecture explaining the problem of dwindling schoolboy Rugby player numbers, and the importance of Clubs getting involved in schools, and especially “black” schools.
Needless to say I had some heated words with some of the Union’s Exco’ who even to this day refuse to address the issue of Political v Rugby boundaries in Gauteng.
It’s going to blow up in their faces one day soon.
But most of all it shows to me a lack of concern regarding development at grass roots level, at least by the Union to which we were affiliated.
I have many horrific stories surrounding the difficulties of playing organised Rugby in and around “previously disadvantaged” areas.
Perhaps someone should ask the Lions to explain how their “balanced scorecard” for clubs works and to see evidence of it being correctly used and measured against. GBS?
How the hell does this type of thing not get more public exposure, how is it that the rugby Unions in SA get away with hiding all these issues. They certainly don’t seem to be serious about developing rugby in certain areas.
Even if you wanted to start a club in let’s say Vosloorus, it is close by alberton so let’s use that.
SARU and the Lions Rugby Union will most likely be more of a hinderence and obsticale than anything else.
Getting Private businesses to get involved will be even more of a challenge.
Getting the Ekurhuleni to assist with an available piece of land most unlikely.
People just don’t want to roll up their sleeves and get dirty.
There must be thousands of young people that would love the opportunity to play rugby but at the end of the day, there aren’t enough opportunities.
No wonder it is all going for a ball of Shit.
@ Scrumdown:
Sorry the above response was to your post.
@ biltongbek:
There are actually a couple of guys at the Lions who are trying hard, but as you say, finance, facilities, etc etc.
The whole political v Rugby boundaries is actually potentially a minefield for the Lions.
Currently some Ekurhuleni based clubs, (Alberton, Germiston, Edenpark, Edenvale, Jeppe Old Boys (if they’re still around)) are affiliated to and play under the Lions, whilst some like Elsburg play under the Valke.
However, the political / local government ruling is that all Ekhurhuleni based clubs and schools for all sporting codes should fall under Gauteng East, or in Rugby terms the Valke.
If this were implemented the consequences are that the above mentioned clubs, plus the “white” and “coloured” schools in Alberton and Germiston would have to play under the Valke.
Hence schools like Marais Viljoen would no longer be available to the GLRU schools structures.
Let us not forget that schools in the “black” areas already fall under the Valke.
Obviously the Valke want this change to happen as it would significantly increase their player base, whilst the Lions seem to be taking the Ostrich reaction, burying their heads in the sand and hoping the problem will disappear.
In fact the view of the Lions is that the Rugby provincial boundaries have nothing to do with Local Government and the Valke are of no consequence anyway.
Maybe the Lions have bigger problems to worry about than guaranteeing their future homegrown player base!
@ Scrumdown:
Sadly a lot of what you are explaining there has no foundation of logic.
What makes matters worse is that the Lions aren’t really using those clubs to their advantage.
I am an old Edenvale player (played there in the early nineties), and I was chatting to a guy the other day in Edenvale and he confirms the same story you relayed a few weeks back, no representative form The Lions have been there, and also no money. Good news though he says there are a lot a black players there now, but yet, they will not get an opportunity to play pro rugby, as it is the “wrong” club to play for.
@ biltongbek:
Unfortunately Edenvale lost it’s affiliated status due to the alleged criminal activities of some of the club’s Exco’.
They are now only an associate member of the GLRU and although they competed in the Senior Grand Challenge League this year I believe all of their games were regarded as friendlies.
I believe the club has to re-apply for affiliation as a new club to the GLRU next season.
Very sad really.
@ biltongbek:
That is pretty arrgant on their part – assuming the rest of the world is either ;
i) So gullible as to beleive everything they see on telly, or
ii) Doesnt care enough to look beyond the window dressing
Brings to mind that phrase frequently attributed (but never actually proved) to Edmund Burke :
“All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
My atrocious spelling aside … 🙄
I don’t think the world really has enough of a priority to care.
WOW a really good ballsy hard hitting article.
I have always been under the impression politics and govt intereference were not allowed and that whoever runs world rugby would step in and put a stop 2 the interfering like fifa did in Nigeria after the World Cup when they tried something.
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