Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula is bringing former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers back into rugby to assist with the development of the sport, according to a Sowetan report.
“It is a great pleasure to announce that we are getting Peter back into rugby to help us with development projects of the sport,” the sports minister said.
“We want him to develop the best model for grassroots rugby in the country. We are engaging him. The man has a wealth of knowledge that we need to tap into.
“Peter has done well for the country, including winning big events with the junior national teams,” Mbalula said.
The minister has said he wants to see schools in the townships and villages playing competitive rugby.
“There is talent in abundance in the townships and villages in Gugulethu, Khayelitsha and the Eastern Cape. We want to see schools in Seshego, Bloemfontein, Mamelodi and other townships also playing rugby and producing great players for the Springboks.”
De Villiers won a bronze medal with the South African Under-19 squad at the 1999 Rugby World Championships, and won gold in 2005 with the same team and silver the following year. In 2007, the former national coach won the Nations Cup with the Emerging Springboks.
Might just be a perfect roll for Snor… if Mbalula makes it financially viable and supplies the means for Snor to succeed.
Quite a while ago it was mentioned that more than 4000 schools in SA (if I remember the figure correctly) has NO sporting facilities of any sorts…
Will the goverment be prepared to throw enough money around this issue, or will it become just a hollow road show?
I think this is a brilliant move, Go Divvy.
@ grootblousmile:
The formation of an NGO based in Gauteng to push for development in Rugby has been mooted and discussed informally with some VERY influential people in the Provoncial Administration who are VERY dissolusioned with the degree of Rugby development in the province, and have a VERY decent amount of funding available for the right people.
Of course there are many stumbling blocks, not least of which is the fact that according to the Provincial boundaries, ALL of Ekhuruleni’s schools and sports clubs should be affiliated to Eastern Gauteng (Valke in Rugby).
This would throw a bit of a spanner into the GLRU works who need schools like Marais Viljoen, but clearly don’t want the hassle of the East Rand based )former) black schools.
Currently the following clubs that play in the Lions structures would have to move if the Government boundaries were adhered to: Alberton, Germiston Simmer, & Edenpark. Jeppe Old Boys have recently ceased to exist or else they would also have had to move, and Edenvale have already moved after a somewhat one sided disciplinary decision by the GLRU saw them kicked out of all Rugby.
Interesting times ahead for Rugby development in and around JHB I feel.
@ Scrumdown:
Provoncial Administration should read PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION.
Pumaitis?
3 @ Scrumdown:
I read this thing as a National thing, not a Gauteng thing… for Snor to put some more snor’s on the Coutry’s youth as a whole.
Last I heard, the Bulls had some lekker plans in the offing for Mamelodi on the East and the Townships on the Western side of Pretoorsdorp…
But all in all, Government has to come to the party with funding on a National level for facilty provision, kit provision and providing the basics for youth development of rugby.
In Gauteng, the funding of rugby in Soweto for Clubs like the Soweto Rugby Club should also be important… and then some structures need to be created for Alexandra and the whole East Rand too.
Will follow what happens after this announcement with interest, but won’t hold my breath to see it sprout soon though.
Talk is cheap… very cheap.
5@ grootblousmile:
Just ask the right people re JHB and I’m sure you’ll get the truth.
Unfortunately there is not too much goodwill betwen the Gauteng Sports Council and a number of the GLRU Exco’ members.
The fruit is almost ripe for the picking!
6 @ Scrumdown:
Does JHB have the “Right” people… Hehehehehe
7@ grootblousmile:
Absolutely.
Just not many of us are still involved with official Rugby structures any more.
Well I think this is the right position for Pieter. The governments will to deliver is paramount. Their track record is not great in this regard. There will be a bit of needle in the England Bok test this year…with 3 Saffa’s in the starting squad so far. It appears SA will remain as a good breeding ground for European and British rugby players.
GBS you don’t answer my e-mails bru…are they getting through to you?
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