Fikile MbalulaDear Minister,

Please allow me to introduce myself.

I am a middle-aged male of European descent living in the Ekhuruleni area, for most of my life.

In that time I’ve seen and experienced MANY changes in the daily lives of both my immediate family and my fellow South African citizens.

For me personally, one of the biggest changes in my life occurred when I discovered that my “local” Rugby Club was just a few kilometres from my house, and was situated in the “previously disadvantaged” area of Edenpark.

Now Edenpark is what most people would refer to as a “coloured” area, with many of the socio-economic problems historically associated with such areas.

It has high unemployment rates, lots of gangs and alcohol abuse and lots of teenage pregnancies.

I made a decision to get involved and help the Club with some admin’ resources, and as life sometimes dictates, almost immediately was swept into a coaching role, followed a couple of months thereafter by being asked to stand for, and then being elected Chairman of the Club.

Now, I can assure you that there is NO GLAMOUR or MONEY to be gained from being elected Chairman of what is effectively a “Third Division” Rugby Club in Johannesburg.

The strain on one’s time and finances are immediate and taxing. Without the ABSOLUTE buy-in of your family, either your marriage (assuming you are married) or the Club would go south very quickly.

Sure there are some perks surrounding VIP parking for games at Ellis Park, and invites to the Presidential Suite, but they are but a small recompense for MANY hours of work every week.

What very quickly became very obvious to me was that despite the absolute fanatical Rugby nature of the coloured community in Edenpark, the Club was something of a “problem” for the Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU).

The player base is small, the spectators and supporters “different”, and the facilities are rubbish.

Then of course there is the issue of RACE. The Club was neither white, nor black and shunned by the “traditional” white Clubs, totally ignored, (possibly hated?) by the black Clubs.

Our head coach “Oppies” Opperman once said to me, ”My Van is te wit, en my vel is te swart”, or translated into English, “My surname is too white, and my skin is too black”, and that perhaps summed up the relationship of Edenpark Rugby Club with the GLRU and the majority of the other Johannesburg based Clubs.

Now, I don’t want to bore you, Mr Minister with the whole history of Edenpark Rugby Club and their relationship with both me and the GLRU, but suffice to say that after I “got involved”, the Club made a conscious effort to attract both “black” players from the surrounding areas of Thokoza, Katlehong, Zonkezizwe and Greenfields, as well as “white” players from areas such as Brackendowns, Albertsdal and anywhere else we could.

In short, the Club was successful and soon had a truly mixed player base, all of whom got on VERY well, and enjoyed being together and playing together.

However, things are never easy. The infrastructure remains abysmal to this day.

  • No lights for training.
  • Limited funding for pitch markings.
  • Limited access to players for transport to training and away games.
  • Poor changing and ablution facilities.

The list goes on and on, but once again Mr Minister, I don’t want to bore you with the detail.

Suffice is to say, that as a former “white” Chairman of a “coloured” Rugby Club, I can state unequivicably that “players of colour” don’t want quota based transformation.

THEY WANT DEVELOPMENT!

If the government were to develop the facilities, players, coaches, team managers, administrators and groundsmen (to name a few) at grass roots CLUB level, then TRANSFORMATION WOULD FOLLOW AS A NATURAL CONSEQUENCE.

It is my experience, that no player wants to be included in any representative side as a consequence of his skin colour, and I feel that (in Rugby at least) the school sides seen at U 13 Craven Week, U 16 Grant Kohomo Week and U 18 Craven Week are by and large fully demographically representative of the SCHOOLS THAT PLAY RUGBY in each province.

Once again, when looking at the demographics of the sides in both the Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield, there “appears” to be a racially balanced make up of most of the sides.

The problem invariably comes during the transition from School to Club and Varsity to Provincial.

Where a player lives and works (or not) dictates where he / she is able to train and play the easiest.

It’s a fact that facilities in “previously disadvantaged” areas are abysmal.

In the 5 years I was involved at MY “coloured” Rugby Club in the south of JHB, we received the following development funding:

  • SARU – Nil
  • GLRU – Nil
  • Fury Rugby Development Programme (*) – 1 full set of playing kit (excluding boots), warm up shirts and bags for 1 side, plus a small amount of training aids per year.
  • NuPAY – Paid transport for away games for one season.
  • Apart from the above there was no funding over and above what the GLRU provided for EVERY Club in the province, an amount of approximately R 15 000.00 (Fifteen Thousand)

(*) Fury Rugby Development Programme was initiated to assist some 30 “development” Clubs, Primary Schools and High Schools in the Lions area and as far as I am aware is still running.

So Honourable Minister Mbalula, to get to the crux of the matter, may I suggest that instead of spewing forth vitriol about imposing penalties, removing National Colours from “offending” federations, and generally upsetting the sporting members of this once great Sporting Nation, that you remove your snout from the trough that it is currently feeding in, and drag yourself down to a few Sports Clubs in “previously disadvantaged” areas on a freezing cold winter’s evening, and engage with the players, coaches and administrators that you are so keen to “transform” into National Sports Stars.

Hear what their needs and aspirations are!

Then go back to your “dynamic and sporty” office bearers at SASCOC, (I’m sure Tubby Reddy and his handler Ramsammy couldn’t be bothered to accompany you to a “real” Sports Club) and FORCE them to PUT SOME MONEY INTO GRASS ROOTS SPORTS DEVELOPMENT!

Hell, perhaps the three of you could even siphon some money from the Billions of Rands that have been misappropriated by the organs of state over the last 5 years. I’m sure a few hundred million wouldn’t even be missed.

In closing Mr Minister, let me assure you that the threats you have made in the media in the last few days will in all likelihood not even be thought about by the vast majority of those playing, coaching and administering sports at grass roots level in our country’s “previously disadvantaged” areas.

For the most part, they couldn’t give a hoot about “removing National Colours from offending Federations”. They just want to practice and play their sport, whatever the code, on decent fields and courts, with sufficient lighting to prevent injuries, sufficient hot water to shower afterwards, and enough funding for a “half decent” team strip and transport to their away games.

Of course, this reality may not fit in with the real reasons that you made your utterances recently, but I put it to you that it is far closer to the truth than you will ever be able to comprehend.

Finally let me make an open invitation to you to visit Edenpark Rugby Club to see the true face of grass roots development Rugby.

I can guarantee you a passion filled evening of Rugby. I can’t guarantee your safety though, you’ll have to take care of that yourself.

Please contact the Webmaster of this website if you would like to take me up on the invitation and I am sure he will pass on your reaction.

Yours sincerely,

A concerned sports lover

14 Responses to An OPEN LETTER to our Esteemed SA Sports Minister – Quotas, funding, players and frustrations (And a word or two of advice)

  • 1

    Wow!

    Thanks a stack for this Article, Scrumdown!

  • 2

    Well said, Scrumdown!!! Its time these politicians forced the issues at the right places, not window dressing at national level. I don’t care which population groups make up my national or provincial side. I just want them to be successful.

  • 3

    @ grootblousmile:
    Thanks for allowing to vent my feelings.

    I can assure you that there are no half truths in the article. I don’t think that the vast majority of Rugby lovers’ have a clue what it is like for the average Rugby Club in SA.

    My sincere hope is that the minister takes the time to read, and respond to my letter.

    As for SASCOC, I hope they come along to Edenpark. Oppies would enjoy a chat with them.

    For the most part though, I’m sure the majority of Rugby “lovers” in SA and here on RT couldn’t give a Tinker’s Cuss about the trials and tribulations of ANY 3rd division club ANYWHERE in SA.

    Once again, thanks for the forum.

  • 4

    @ Scrumdown:
    tot jy 10 jaar lank op die platteland gespeel het en jy sien hoe clubs rondom jou doodloop….rugby op die platteland is effektief dood….. 😥

  • 5

    19:42 @ smallies:
    Maar smallies, dis juis die punt van die artikel, die gebrek aan ontwikkeling is nou gekoppel aan die gebrek aan geld wat die klubs aan die lewe kan hou en hulle fassiliteite kan onderhou en verbeter.

    Die klubs oral sukkel finansieel… ek het dit mos gesien op die Delmas Rugbyklub Rugbydag ook, hulle MOET elke jaar ‘n Rugbydag hou, om geldjies in te samel vir die broodnodigste goedjies.

    Hoe verbreed mens rugby, as klubrugby waarvandaan spelers moet deur beur na bo so afgeskeep word, as klubrugby nie bevonds en ontwikkel word en sodoende aangemoedig word nie?

    Nou neuk Mbalula en SASCOC met dreigemente en wil transformasie van provinsiale vlak af afdwing… met watter spelers wat nie deur die klub ranks kan kom nie omdat die klubs in hulle moer is??

  • 6

    @ Scrumdown:
    Very nice letter. This is a problem with all sports, even more with sports outside the big 3 (rugby, soccer and cricket). It’s not only money but terrible coaches as well. If you don’t have a rich family which can afford the best coaches and the best schools, you have very little chance to succeed.

    But, having said that. If an athlete really want to succeed, he will, no matter what. If his mind is right, he doesn’t wait for handouts. He will succeed dispite of the lack of money and facilities. The sport minister is just an extra bump the road.

  • 7

    Not sure what the excitement here is for?
    They will do whatever they feel is right, but in the end our rugby will still prevail.

  • 8

    @ grootblousmile:
    Het my verkeerd uitgedruk die punt wat ek wou maak is dat dit nog erger op die plattelan gaan,rugby ontwikkeling vind glad nie plaas nie

  • 9

    20:19 @ smallies:
    Daarme kan ek akkoord gaan… wat dit erger maak in die platteland is omdat die dorpies self ook besig is om te sukkel en halfpad dood te loop.

    Die jongmense wat rugby ouderdom is gaan Universiteite toe en gaan soek werk in die groter dorpe en stede.

    Die plattelandse munisipaliteite sukkel ernstig met geld om enige sport infrastruktuur te onderhou.

  • 10

    Hoert julle hiere!
    Scrumdown het die ding raakgevat (ek skryf Afrikaans, wil nie ons oorsese maters moet weet van al die stommiteite wat in onse rugby politiek aangaan nie).
    Die donners het die kat alewig by die knaters beet, wil alles van BO af reguleer en toesprake maak, terwyl op grondvlak (‘grassroots level’) niks gedoen word nie.
    PissMier het al in 2005 n soortgelyke artikel as Scrumdown op Voldy geplaas, oor sy probleme met die Namibiese spul.
    Ek gooi hande in die lug met mense soos Komphela en Fokile.
    Wonder of die Agbare weet dat Bafana al weer 2 plekke geval het en op pad is na 100ste in die wereld, maar daaroor is sy ou bek tjoepstil.

  • 11

    @ grootblousmile:
    jy weet pel my seun hulle se naaste game is 100 km weg hulle ander games is alma meer as 300 km weg die outjies ry 05h00 en kom somtyds eers20h00 weer by die huis.die dorpe om ons se skole is tot niet .

  • 12

    burgersdorp 100 graaf reinet 400 de aar 450 queenstown 200 bloem 250 oos- londen 350 cradock 250

  • 13

    To All Above

    Thanks for taking the time to read my somewhat rambling thoughts, and even more thanks for giving your heartfelt opinions.

    The thread is NOT intended to raise the ire of the ruling party of this STILL great sporting country, but rather to try to nudge them into the realisation that DESPITE the racial make up of any National team, the reality is that by and large, irrespective of whether a person is pink, brown, dark brown or pure white, at the end of the day, all any of us want if for “team SA” to win.

    We don’t care how, with what racial class of players, or what the sport is.

    We just want to WIN.

    We would also like our government to use our tax money to help that winning happen.

    My invitation to the minister, and even SASCOC stands.

    PLEASE Mr Minister, come and see sports at the sharp end of the development “rainbow”. Maybe, just maybe you’ll be as inspired as I am when I attend a club Rugby game, irrespective of where it is.

  • 14

    @ smallies:
    Hats off for doing what you do for your Son.

    I hope he appreciates it as much as you enjoy it.

    I also hope that he appreciates the sacrifice YOU made for his future for the rest of his days.

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