Hoskins praises hefty ban
11 Aug 2009
Oregan Hoskins backs the South Western Districts RFU’s 15-year ban of Heidelberg Rugby Club.
The club was suspended after an investigation found that Heidelberg fans, carrying knives, broken bottles and pipes, invaded the pitch and wounded seven people, following their loss to Mossel Bay Rugby Club on 1 August.
‘I applaud the union for their strong action and the clear message they have sent to clubs – not just under their jurisdiction, but across the country,’ Hoskins told Sapa.
‘The implications for the Heidelberg Club are obviously very serious indeed and I have sympathy for those hard-working officials and members who had no part in this incident.
‘But a club has to take responsibility for the actions of its members and players and this kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable.’
The ruling sets a strong precedent for any future violence in club rugby.
For many years, Cape rugby clubs, especially those in the lower divisions, have been notorious for their violent transgressions and not enough action was taken to stop this.
However, the SWD RFU have been the first union to step up and make this emphatic a statement. Hopefully other unions will follow their lead, such as Eastern Province Rugby Union, who have also suffered a racial incident.
Police had to be called in during a match between Crusaders and United Barbarians after supporters were involved in racial slurs that spilled on to the field. Things got so out of hand that the game had to be temporarily suspended.
Only once the police arrived, the spectators calmed down and the match continued.
According to the EP Referees Society, conditions are so bad that some members refuse to oversee certain matches because of threats and racial abuse from the spectators.
Chairman Frans Muller, suggests that fans should be ‘banned for life’ from matches should they be found guilty of racial acts.
‘Clubs must manage their supporters,’ Muller told The Herald. ‘If we can identify supporters who are causing the trouble, of course we will take strong action against them.’
EPRU President Cheeky Watson also called on clubs to ‘take ownership of the problem’.
‘We are a young and growing democracy and rugby is a contact sport where people get passionate,’ he said, ‘but clubs must be accountable and we have told them we will take a strong stance against it.’
28 Comments
11 Aug 2009, 14:13 pm
Knife weilding thugs eaten by swd dragons
11 Aug 2009, 14:22 pm
Good call.
11 Aug 2009, 14:33 pm
why is it always the coloured clubs that resort to fighting and behaving like dogs? Just have a look at club rugby in the WP. More should be done to educate these wannabe ganster animals posing as rugby players. It is not even safe anymore to go and match a club match!
11 Aug 2009, 14:33 pm
why is it always the coloured clubs that resort to fighting and behaving like dogs? Just have a look at club rugby in the WP. More should be done to educate these wannabe ganster animals posing as rugby players. It is not even safe anymore to go and watch a club match!
11 Aug 2009, 14:35 pm
ja its really sad
11 Aug 2009, 14:42 pm
#4 bok_befok:
That’s a pretty big generalization to make without backing it up with facts.
What I want to know is why Heidelberg’s actions are not trumpeted as a racist act? Only by exposing racism under all people in South Africa can we get rid of it. By always being more lenient towards racists that have the same skin colour as we do, we’re condoning it. How many white people will actually condemn someone telling a racist joke at a braai? How many coloureds will condemn these Heidelberg spectators and players as racists? How many blacks will condemn farm attacks as racist? The “Us vs Them” is no longer Black vs White. “Us” now are the law abiding citizens, the people that want to make this a better country. We need to stand up against “Them” : the racists, the corrupt, the gangsters and the criminals.
11 Aug 2009, 14:57 pm
#6 DIEBARRY:
Nothing to do with racism. It is about the fighting behaviour that seems more commom amongst the coloured clubs (my opinion based on my experience over the past 10 years). And I agree… we all need to condem this behaviour.
11 Aug 2009, 14:59 pm
#6 DieBarry:
Thats some pretty deep **** there DIEBARRY.
Well said bru!!
11 Aug 2009, 15:25 pm
This has nothing to do with race it is all about class. I watched the incident on youtube and it was just a bunch of ill bred and poorly raised animals reacting to too much booze. The only solution to this is to chemically castrate them and make sure they don’t breed.
You could see some of the players trying to stop the mob but their lock who was sent off should be the first in line for castration as he was egging everybody on but when it kicked off he was at the back of the battle lines. Race is a non issue here the issue boils down to scum and booze
11 Aug 2009, 15:36 pm
The problems also arise when their supporters are bussed in by the 100′eds, each one with a papsak. They finish the papsak on the way to the grounds and when they arive the 4 foot capies feel 7 feet big – and the knives in their pocket adds another 2.
11 Aug 2009, 15:42 pm
#9 DEE DAH: I have to agree with you regarding the spectators.
At our club we’ve instigated a booze ban for certain fixtures because of incidents like this.
On the field however, it is a sad fact that racism is alive and well, with many racial slurrs being uttered by players of all ethnic groups.
Once someone starts, it just escalates.
Recently in JHB, Wanderers and Eldoranians had an incident which was much publicised with accusations and counter accusations. The truth is that it is poorly controlled by referees, and when complaints are made, they are both hard to prove and tend not to be taken seriously at higher levels. (Due mainly to the lack of substantial evidence: He said, she said scenario)
Once a situation escalalates it’s too late and Rugby’s name is dragged through the mud once again.
Well done though to SWD RFU for the decisive action. Hopefully it will send out the right message.
11 Aug 2009, 15:44 pm
Stupid mutherf**kers!
11 Aug 2009, 15:48 pm
#9 DEE DAH: Ja having watched it now too, I must agree with you. It seems like half of the team were trying to help calm the situation and stop their “fans”, but then there were some of them trying to climb into the Mossel Bay players.
Probably the Mossel Bay guys werent 100% innocent – there was probably niggling all game, and possibly a few racist jibes and chirps here and there, which might’ve upset the Heidelberg guys.
But you cant have people invading the field and threatening the players lives basically.
Those 2 cops were brave though.
#6 DieBarry: I totally agree with your post and have been saying it for a while now. Its not colour vs colour anymore, its about decent, hard working South Africans who against crime, rape, corruption and all negative things that break down our country and our lives.
11 Aug 2009, 15:48 pm
#11 Scrumdown: What was the Wanderers and Eldoranians incident Scrumdown?
11 Aug 2009, 16:03 pm
#14 bokfan1: According to Beeld, the recent 1st XV match was a very niggly affair that ended early in a free for all.
The ref’ blew the game and the Wanderers players went to the dressing room. The Eldo’s players followed and stood outside with “knives” (according to the Wanderers players.)
Eldo’s manager denied that they had knives, but that they did have “pieces of steel pipe that they picked up from around the field”.
Wanderers phoned the SAPS who were there in a few minutes. The Eldo’s players then started to disperse.
The Eldo’s manager claims that their captain was so badly assulted during the game that he had to be admitted to Mulbarton Clinic. (Far from either Wanderers or Eldo’s, so one has to question.) They (Eldo’s) claim to have layed charges with the Police, Wanderers are/were threatening to lay counter charges.
Knowing both clubs reasonably well, as well as Eldo’s manager very well, I know what I believe.
There is nothing about the incident on the GLRU website that I can find.
11 Aug 2009, 16:09 pm
Just found the following on GLRU website
“Speaking on behalf of the Golden Lions Rugby Union, President Kevin de Klerk strongly condemns the incident that took place at a club match in Johannesburg on Saturday, 1 August 2009, between Wanderers Rugby Club and Eldoronians Rugby Club.
“We strongly condemn any violence or racial comments and under no circumstance do we condone what took place over the weekend at this club match.”“We are currently obtaining all reports from match officials and club management on the incident”
Once all reports have been obtained we will take necessary disciplinary actions.”
11 Aug 2009, 16:12 pm
#15 Scrumdown: That sounds like a crazy story!
Having bits of steel pipe are not good either.
The main thing is to stop the racist remarks that get thrown around. I can imagine it kills the game and the enjoyment thereof.
You’ve got guys like Beast, Bakkies and JP all in the same team for our country and we cheer them all on – there is no space for racist comments.
11 Aug 2009, 17:45 pm
it’s a pity that such measures have to be taken to resolve a rather rotten situation. Also, it’s tough on a couple of subsequent generations whose affiliations would likely have been with Heidelberg.
None of you would know that I grew up in close proximity and in the “coloured” community. The mind set developed by the residents of these communities were hardly conducive to adopting any philosophy remotely approaching the “Queensbury Rules” concept.
I had more fights in those communities than most of you would have had breakfasts and now, in my more tranquil years, I ask myself (without offering solutions), is there a better way of resolving problem??
11 Aug 2009, 18:30 pm
#4 bok_befok: #7 bok_befok: #6 DieBarry: To start off with I haven’t seen this incident on youtube, but I’d like to point out that using race in your question is both misguided and unhelpful.
Imagine if someone asked:”Why is it that every violent incident at the Springbok game involved a fat white farmer?”
Your statement should read:”Why is it that clubs from the poorest areas/ suburbs in the league, with deep-rooted social problems like gansterism, alcoholism and drug abuse, are always fighting and behaving like animals?” And you would have answered your own question.
They say sports reflects society, and in this case, these incidents do very much reflect the social circumstances of these areas.
11 Aug 2009, 18:48 pm
# 19 – call it what you want! This behaviour was barbaric and they deserve 50 years!! F*king animals
11 Aug 2009, 19:03 pm
#20 Bobcat10: Yep, no arguments about the fine. Just didn’t want a social issues being turned into a race issue.
11 Aug 2009, 22:10 pm
#21 crazy ******:
Yes its not about race – agreed
The issues are socio-economic – no argument
However we want to equally condemn such behaviour no matter where its roots are.
My concern would be to brush such incidents under the table because we are sensitive about these socio-economic problems.
11 Aug 2009, 22:30 pm
Clubs and their fans from even the most socially-deprived, poorest and most dysfunctional predominantly-white or predominantly-black African areas somehow do not often cause this sort of routine violent mayhem on and off the rugby field.
If you read of such barbarism, invariably it’s bound to come from misbehaving coloureds and their rugby clubs.
The issue IS a racial one rather than a “class” (rich/poor) one.
Face up to the facts.
12 Aug 2009, 03:41 am
So SA ruby clubs could file for the same sort of protection as domestic abuse sufferers? What do you call those again?
#23 TheTackler: Actually I believe that just as much racism and provocation comes from racist, poor white communities. The common issue- racism- is one that is prevalent where poor people have to compete with poor people of different race. Its easy to latch onto race as a causing factor, but in reality it is the symptom, not the cause – the common denominator IS class.
12 Aug 2009, 11:43 am
Ek het dit nou net op youtube gekyk. en ek kan uit persoonlike ondervinding sê dat dit net die kleurling klubs is wat hulle so gedra. ek het dit al vele kere gesien en dit is nie net die senior klubs nie. in die boland word die kleurling kinders groot gemaak om vuil rugby te speel dis die rede hoekom die groter skole nie teen hulle wil speel nie. by party klubs in kaapstad moet die besoekende span met ‘n bus tot op die veld ry sodat hulle deur die hoë heinings om die veld van die toeskouers weg gehou kan word.
gaan kyk bietjie watter klubs het heinings om die veld waar die paviljoen buite die heining is, dit kan net beteken dat die bestuur van die klub weet hulle toeskouers is ‘n gevaar vir die ander spelers.
ek dink as ‘n klub toelaat dat hulle ondersteuners hulle soos bobbejane gedra dan verdien julle nie om rugby te mag speel nie. hoekom kan die kleurling spelers van wit klubs hulle gedra? dis net opvoeding. meng jou met die semels en die varke vreet jou op!
12 Aug 2009, 12:09 pm
#24 SjamBok: Those “racist poor-white” communities don’t misbehave anywhere near as violently loutish and out-of-control as those “racist poor-coloured” communities. Those coloured yobs are way out in a class of their own.
12 Aug 2009, 12:23 pm
#23 TheTackler: Mate, what you’re saying is the equivalent of asking: “Why are most poor people black?” Is it a social question or a question of race?
Those people don’t behave that way because of the colour of their skin. There are plenty of coloured players and supporters involved in club rugby who don’t behave that way.
It’s a social issue…look at the areas where those clubs are from. (If you head out to some of the northern suburbs of Cape Town, there are plenty of white kids behaving in a similar way). Personally, I think booze is the biggest problem in most of these incidents.
12 Aug 2009, 23:13 pm
Jeez, if only a club had to take responsibility for the actions of its members and players in football. They’d all be banned!
Hell Millwall would have to basically cease the existence of the club.
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