Front page allegations of racism at the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union have clouded the Sharks’ build-up to the Currie Cup semi-final against their perennial rivals, the resurgent Blue Bulls, on Saturday.
(Careful, we do not want the discussion below to get out of hand)
Sport24 – Gary Boshoff
Further to this, it also seems as if the Absa transformation debacle and the SARU president’s email (which he sent to all his provincial affiliates) have now boomeranged on former president of the KZNRU, and current SARU president, Oregan Hoskins.
It is going to be interesting to see how Hoskins and the KZNRU handles the threat of the protesting parties to walk out of the rugby union structures if their concerns are not addressed urgently.
As of late there have been rumblings in a number of provincial unions on the issue of transformation or more specifically, the lack thereof.
Clubs affiliated to the Falcons Rugby Union recently called in the assistance of the Human Rights Commission to investigate serious allegations of racism and discrimination at the union, while the Cheetahs, Western Province, EP Kings, Griffons, Lions, Blue Bulls, Leopards and Pumas have all been criticised for a lack of representation on the field of play.
In spite of this general discontent and non-compliance with the undertaking to foster transformation and change, SARU has yet to come up with a comprehensive transformational strategy (clear goals and objectives) to address the transformational challenge in a concerted and systematic manner.
In fact, since the scrapping of quotas, the only transformational action that came from SARU has been general appeals to its provincial affiliates to advance the objectives of transformation – on this provinces are pretty much left to their own devices.
It is high time that SARU clarify its official position on transformation and how these imperatives should manifest itself in the rugby environment.
Pussy footing around the issue has resulted in suspicion about whether there exists enough political will within SARU to face the issue head-on.
SARU has been happy to reactive (when problems rear their heads) rather than proactively forecasting and preparing strategic initiatives to address the concerns of all the stakeholders on this sensitive matter.
The threats of a walk-out by the KZNRU protesters is a sign that patience is running out at grassroots level and if SARU does not come up with a definitive plan soon, this groundswell of protest is bound to gain momentum.
Meanwhile, the Currie Cup semi-finals at Kings Park and Newlands will feature the top four provinces in South African rugby. Both these games are too close to call. While the Sharks will have the home ground advantage in Durban, the Blue Bulls will arrive with renewed confidence after their morale boosting wins over WP and Griquas, as well as the return of several key Springboks.
Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield and Pierre Spies hold the biggest threat for the Sharks – they will certainly contest every lineout ball and put Alistair Hargreaves and Steven Sykes under immense pressure.
Add to the mix the aggressive Danie Rossouw and the scavenger, Deon Stegmann and it is easy to understand why the Bulls are being tipped as favourites.
However, the Blue Bulls’ challenge will be up front where Werner Kruger and Dean Greyling have not been able to stabilise the Blue Bulls’ scrum (the loss of Gurthro Steenkamp was a massive blow to the Blue Bulls’ chances). The Sharks’ all-Springbok front row will certainly target them from the word go.
The other major concern for the Blue Bulls is their midfield defence where Jaco Pretorius seems to be the weak link. With Adrian Jacobs back to full fitness, the midfield defence of the Bulls will be fully tested.
In Cape Town, Western Province will be fancying their chances against the Cheetahs. However, with Juan Smith and CJ van der Linde back in the team, the rest of their team-mates won’t need any motivation to upstage their hosts at Newlands. They did it during the league stages of the competition and will believe that they can do it again.
There is something magical about the Cheetahs when it comes to the Currie Cup playoffs. It is as if they shift over to a higher gear and tend to upstage their more fancied opponents with consistent regularity. Ashley Johnson, Hennie Daniller and the front row “twins”, WP Nel and Coenie Oosthuizen, have been the dangermen in the Cheetahs’ attack and seem to grow in stature week after week after week. If they can maintain their present form, WP will be in for a battle royal to reach their first Currie Cup final since 2001.
So who will progress to the final? I’m leaning towards a WP v Blue Bulls final at Newlands. What do you think?
Remember to tread careful in discussion here fellas, this is the opinion of one man, Gary Boshoff
Same old, same old I’m afraid.
The strong and established clubs get stronger, while the development / newer clubs are left to feel like an unwanted step child with no help to grow and develop whatsoever.
It’ll never change, and Rugby will never grow beyond a minority sport because of it!
I’m so sick and tired of the politics in our sport :kots: !!!
Hey, at least SA 7’s won bronze at the games beating England.
I don’t know what the problem is…
The Sharks jersey always had more black than white in it 😉
wooop woooop Blouste!!!!!! I didn’t know!!!!!
@ Tripples:
14 – 17 Yes…
4@ Blouste:
Wow, so we beat the might 7’s team of Scotland in the 1/4’s, and got trounced (again) by the Aussies in the Semi’s.
Can we honestly say that it counts for anything without Fiji competing?
#8 Cmon scrumdoen, its like saying we did not really win the World Vup cos we didn’t play the All Blacks?
I Mean Scrumdown (sorry blush blush blush)
2@ Blouste:
Blouste
It’s not about politics. It’s about developing and growing a minority sport in something bigger and better.
Most of the provincial unions couldn’t give a tinker’s cuss about development of Rugby at grass roots level.
Eventually something has to give.
9@ Tripples:
No, it’s like saying that one of the top 3 teams in the world (Fiji) were not allowed to compete, thereby taking much of the gloss off the event IMO.
@ Scrumdown:
I hear you, I’m just talking about the political inteference in general…
Sorry, but I don’t see the racist angle to this article……………am I missing something or just being particularly dumb?
14@ Loosehead:
Well, the article isn’t exactly precise in it’s explanation or either the alleged transgressions by the KZNRU towards it’s members, or even which member clubs (if indeed it was a club(s)) are aggrieved.
Maybe the writer was really just trying to grab the attention of the reader. After all, there must be 100’s of articles about the weekend’s match up’s.
Blouste, just for interest sake – a politician from another country telling the English who they should pick in their cricket team and telling New Zealand who they should pick in their rugby team has the same stomach turning effect on you?
@ fender:
It sure does…
The 2, namely politics and sport should be fought on different stages alltogether.
@ fender:
I see no reply so I hope that answers your question.
Blouste, I’m glad to hear that. But do you believe that one can and must always seperate the two?
If so, what do you then make of a politician who states that sport can unite a nation more than any politician ever could? If such a statement relating to nationbuilding or unity is accurate, is it not proof that sport is and always will be a very powerful political tool, part and parcel of the political landscape and should ideally be used to unite and not seperate people?
From:- sport.iafrica.com
“The KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union is facing another administrative storm, on the eve of the Sharks’ Currie Cup semifinal showdown with the Blue Bulls.
It has been revealed that a group of disgruntled club owners are threatening with a breakaway union in the province, unless their grievances are met by the KZNRU hierarchy.
The latest bomb to hit the Durban-based outfit, which dominated the domestic scene this year, follows the recent revelation by iafrica.com that the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the Department of Labour have started investigations into the “non-compliance” of KZNRU clubs in regards to legislation.
Pete Smith, the CEO of the KZNRU, confirmed on Tuesday that they had received a memorandum for the Transformation Committee Task Group, headed by former Jaguars chairman Martin Wiseman.
The lobby group, which accused the KZNRU of ‘racism’, called for a restructuring of the union to include more black officials at council and executive level and the development of poorer clubs.
Asked if the KZRNU was indeed a ‘racist’ union, as suggested in the Wiseman memorandum, Smith just offered a terse: “No comment.”
However, he confirmed that they are trying to set a date for a meeting with the TCTG.
“We have agreed to meet with them,” Smith told iafrica.com, adding that the meeting could be “sometime next week”.
Despite having received the memorandum, Smith said they wanted to “hear their concerns first hand”.
He added that they will address those concerns in the meeting.
“Yes, there are real issues they raise in that memorandum,” Smith said, when asked about the serious nature of the allegations.
“We’ll go through the memorandum at the meeting,” he said, adding that they are “not going to engage with them via the media”.
Wiseman’s group claims to have support from a substantial number of disadvantaged schools and clubs, which have been neglected by the union.
Another concerned group has also raised issues surrounding the Sharks’ academy.
The academy stands accused of being “a money making racket”, with little or no thought to the actual results or final original goal.
It is felt that the ‘drop out” ratio for the last two to three years should have already started the alarm bells ringing in KZNRU circles.”
@ Scrumdown:
All sounds too familiar to me unfortunately.
@ fender:
Sure there are some truth in that…the key being like you said ” to unite an not seperate people ”
Unfortunatly that imo is not what is happening in our country.
So in short, there sure are pro’s and con’s in combining the two, but in an country with so many different opinions like ours I think seperating the two is much more positive.
In any case, no sporting code have united people because of statements made by a politition in my opinion. It tends to happen in any case. Sport does it on it’s own without interference.
So yes, imo they should rather just not combine the two.
One thing for sure is that there are a lot of facts that are not on the table with this issue.
Problem is that they may never get to the table and if they do whose facts will they be?
Once again this situation at KZN, like the situation countrywide is really the result of poor leadership from SARU.
Every time Hoskins opens his mouth he is becoming an embarrassment in his total lack of spine.
In any case…
All in all I fail to see how this will have any influence on the players for the weeknds clash…
Thanks for that, Blouste – although I’m not sure I understand your second last paragraph that well.
Anyway, I do differ with you on a few points (but you already knew that didn’t you ;-)). I don’t believe that one can really seperate the two nor should there really be a need to do so. There is a time for a politician to put on a Bok jersey as there is a time for a Afrikaans rugby administrator to put on a politician hat and organise a S14 semi a stones throw (pun intended) away from where Hector Petersen died protesting against Afrikaans.
I do not have a problem with politics. I do have a problem with politicians who define politics only in terms of vested self-interest and power mongering. And in my experience, the majority of politicians are to be found outside parliament.
fender wrote:
I agree, but I see that more in a supportive role, not necesarilly as interfering…
Sure , get behind your country, support them, but leave politics out of it, or the interference part in any case.
Al wat ek interessant vind in bogenoemde artikel, is dat Boshoff skryf asof Spies en Stegmann Saterdag gaan speel. Weet hy dalk al iets wat ons nog nie weet nie ?
@ bdb:
Seems probable that Stegmann will play, Spies probably not, but the verdict is still out.
28: ekskuus, wat sê jy ? 😉
dbd, if Stegmann plays on Saturday expect Blou Kuberruim Handelaar to put in a surprise appearance here. 😉
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