a tribute to the last ever springbok team

[Racing Hart]

[Racing Hart]

Boks racial debate reignited

2007-10-18 18:22

Cape Town - The South African government warned on Thursday that demands for an overhaul of the racial make-up of the Springboks would not be silenced even if they win this weekend's rugby World Cup final.

Deputy home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba told parliament that coach Jake White's charges were still not representative of the nation, 13 years after the fall of the whites-only apartheid regime.

"After the Springboks win the World Cup on Saturday, as they will, they will come back to a nation that is unwavering in its demand for transformation," said Gigaba.

"We cannot relent until the Springbok team is representative."

Thirteen of the team picked to start against England at the Stade de France are white, even though whites account for barely 10%t of South Africa's 48m strong population.

Gigaba said much work remained to be done to ensure "black people have a right too...to participate in the Springboks and represent their country".

The ruling African National Congress has long berated rugby chiefs over the rate of racial transformation with the chair of parliament's sports committee recently calling for the Springboks' passports to be impounded if the squad did not become more representative of the country's demographics.

A few MPs, mostly white, took their opportunity when called to speak to wish the team well in its bid to recapture the trophy a dozen years after South Africa's first World Cup triumph.

[Racing Hart]

so a last tribute to the bok team that will be the last true representatives of our proud country

[nellie]

 

Dis sommer strooi!! Hell...deliver the goods and you can get into the team. Damn...if you can prove to the selectors that you ARE the best regardless of your skin colour, you will likely get chosen (jaaa...okay...waiting for comments flaming me and saying that it is not always the case and to see what happened in cycling some time back...) 

 

But - man...black people don't play that much rugby...as easy as that - you don't see all this nonsense in soccer forcing them to put WHITE people in. Because in general in our country white guys aren't as good in soccer and don't have all the skills because simply most Afrikaans medium/"white" schools (well in the Western Cape anyway as far as i know) do not have soccer as a sport to get the guys involved

[racman]

Looks like their will be two "All Black" teams for next years Super 14 !!

[fandacious]

 

But - man...black people don't play that much rugby...as easy as that

 

Thats quite a brave statement nellie...  There are a LOT of rugby clubs that have players of colour playing for them. We just dont see it because they're not represented @ national level. Dont you find it funny that a lot of the guys currently in the squad had a father who was a springbok?

 

I fully understand our governments point of view. To the masses it appears VERY much as a "whites only" club/sport.

[Skye]

Eish this give me such a headache........

 

[nellie]

 

 

Ja fandacious i know...and they are good, but IMO i think our team is excellent at the moment - i'm watching the whole whoohaa show on SABC2 that's sweeping everyone up for Saturday's game and you don't get to the top and into the final with a weak team.

 

Yes....there might (i'm not saying there was) have been some influences from previous players, but the guys are on top and are the best players. I don't care what the colour of their skin is - if they can play the game and play it properly i'd cheer them on all the way.

 

But take it like this - if you take black people and see what % of them plays rugby and you compare it with the % of white guys playing. Don't get me wrong - i'm not racist at all - i just think it sucks that everything has to be ruled by politicians who don't even always know how things work and then they get the right to decide. Hell...damn...you handle the politics and let the trained proffesionals make the decisions in sport/health care (...insert whatever you want here)

[Racing Hart]

you're insane!! the players are all there because they ARE the best we have to offer..look at it they made it to the RWC final!! THEY ARE THE BEST..REGARDLESS OF COLOUR...

I am not all racist..if a player is the best pick him doesn't mather if he is black brown or white..

but all i can say it was great when the mighty springboks use to play and that I was proud when they played..So a moment to think about the rich springbok history and what they've accomplished for our glorious nation...and to keep in the back of our minds and cherish the moment when they run out on the pitch saturday...and to bid them a tribute...

I'LL MISS YOU GUYS

[sias]

Whoa Nellie!

Die "regering" van die land het nie 'n saak met "verteenwoordiging van verskillende rassegroepe" in sport nie. Die twee oorwegend "wit" sporte is nog die enigste sporte wat enigsins iets bereik en dis vir hulle 'n doring in die vlees. Hulle sal nie rus voordat dit ook, soos sokker, heeltemal opgedonner is nie. Hulle is uit op 'n mag speletjie om alles in die land tot op hulle vlak af te trek en te vernietig.

En fandacious - Nellie is reg dat PDI's sokker verkies en as jy na die res van Afrika kyk sal jy ook sien dat daar net een of twee lande is wat 'n kompewterende span het. Hoeveel Afrika lande het spanne in die rugby w?reldbeker toernooi gehad? En in die sokker w?reld beker?

[Cois]

Sal die flippen regering my asb help om uit hulle d*nd*rse land pad te gee.  Dis al wat hulle wil h? wat moet gebeur.  Nou gee my $$$ en stuur my na Auzie land toe, dat ek ook 'n skaap liefhebber kan gaan word!

[epoh]

 

I honestly would have no problem if the whole team is black, as long as they are there on merit. If it comes down to a race issue and the black player is better by all means put him in. I dont care about the color I want the best guys in the team!!! The black guys in the South African team are super good and I would play noone else in their place.. for me the issue is not about being black or white it is about merit.

 

I know that the overwhelming argument is that they never had a chance but get them

involved through a proper development program in the curry cup or 

some lower division and then pull them from there into the Super 12.  And from the Super12 into the Springbok team. But to just pull a few guys from nowhere and put them into the Bok team.. you will make a fool of yourself and our country.

 

 

The other thing as well is if the government impose strict rules I am not sure the current black players in the teams would be very happy about it either. Good players feed off each other and they make each other stand out. If you load a team to fulfill some political demands with players that are not up to scratch the good players that are there will also just become a statistic and fade away. You cant shine if the rest of your team is not shining.

 

But I must admit I am very impressed by the number of black players in the Craven week and there were some very talented players. Some very good black talent that should be starting to come through the ranks.

 

[amdretard]

I agree with epoh on this issue ! For those merit black players to come through there needs to be time. Time for the black kids to be exposed to it in a rugby playing school .

 

 

 

At the moment the few good rugby schools are bringing the players of color through but like all things it needs time. 13 years is not enough to change what was not seen a "traditional" black sport to a mainstream black sport ! In ten years i think we will have alot of talent coming through in all races!

 

 

 

Right now the Jameson's slogan is relevant here! WHATS THE RUSH!

 

 

 

The government needs to build it up from the primary school level and high school level for the talent to come through ! Right now i see very little funding coming through for school boy rugby ! So how can they expect transformation without the correct investment in the correct area !

[goofs]

 

But - man...black people don't play that much rugby...as easy as that

 

Thats quite a brave statement nellie...  There are a LOT of rugby clubs that have players of colour playing for them. We just dont see it because they're not represented @ national level. Dont you find it funny that a lot of the guys currently in the squad had a father who was a springbok?

 

I fully understand our governments point of view. To the masses it appears VERY much as a "whites only" club/sport.

 

Hard to explain the following. The school near to my g/f house used to be an afrikaans primary with 2 rugby fields. Last year the education department decided to amalgamate them with another school nearby, and bus in kids from the nearby township to this school. My g/f grandfather who used to coach rugby approached the new governing body to offer to coach them, but was laughed at and told they prefer to play soccer. 

 

But lets take another view, how many afrikaans schools of the past, or even current  do you know that offer soccer as sport. Surely there must be some white afrikaans kid that has soccer talent, but has been denied the opportunity to exercise this. I do not see any programmes to fast track  this imbalance at junior or senior level, nor any goverment intervention. I also do not see afrikaans parents making threatening noises, but rather accept their lot.

 

goofs2007-10-18 14:10:02

[ewep]

OK, one question.  If rugby is made representative, will the same be done to soccer?  How many white/indian/coloured players in Bafana (NONE), or Chiefs or Pirates, or Supersport United.  Should I go one.  But I forget, in this country rules only apply to certain race groups.

[Reg Lizard]

If something is succesfull everybody wants a part of it. But it won't be long when they will want nothing to do with rugby as the success story is soon to change. This will definetly be the last Springbok team I support. Go Bokke, go. Win the Cup for us for the last time and then goodbye, for this Country does not require your services anymore.