Africa’s top rugby administrators gathered in Cape Town on Tuesday for a three-day rugby conference, hosted by the South African Rugby Union (SARU), with the objective of ensuring effective rugby structures and growing the game across the continent.
During their stay in the Mother City, the delegates will deliberate on a number of important issues affecting the future and growth of the game on the African continent. The gathering forms part of the IRB’s Leading Rugby programme and SARU is hosting the event for a second year in a row.
The Leading Rugby Programme is part of the IRB Development Strategy to support member unions with training in order to develop the game globally. The programme will be implemented by the IRB Development team in each region over the coming months in partnership with the respective regional associations.
Last year much of the emphasis was placed on connecting the CAR (Confederation of African Rugby) member unions with each other through workshops and support services, where they could share information and ideas on best practice models to develop and grow the game in their own countries or rugby regions.
Several senior SARU staff members have also been tasked with making presentations on important matters relating to rugby development, government and stakeholder relations, commercial and marketing, as well as media and communications as part of the conference.
Delegates from the following countries are attending the conference: Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
I have it VERY GOOD authority that one of the major contributing fators preventing the Confederation of African Rugby from growing is one that we are not unfamiliar with in SA, one of language.
The game in Africa is largely controlled by FRENCH speaking countries, who to a large extent tend to ignore their English speaking counterparts and any suggestions that they make.
I have heard it suggested that Rugby in Africa may be best served by splitting CAR loosely along language lines.
Seems simplistic enough but could be a nightmare.
Too many ego’s at play perhaps?
Why doesn’t SARU play a more active role in the rest of Africa from a Rugby perpsective?
Mind you, the SARU house is hardly in order is it? So I guess I’ve answered my own question.
The mess with Jurie Roux and the Stellenbosch millions has gone awfully quiet.
I wonder who’s holding the broom, and who’s lifting the corner of the carpet?