Transforming the way we think
15 Oct 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in his Business Day newspaper column, writes that the story of the Kings should be about hope and not ridicule.
The South African Rugby Union has never believed in the Eastern Cape as anything but an irritation to professional rugby but also a corporate cash cow in the name of development.
If any within the current administration refutes this then I challenge them to publicly apologise to the region for the way in which entry to Super Rugby was finalised and to apologise for making the Kings hated among a certain sector of provincial South African fan because they replaced a South African team, in the form of the Lions.
Saru’s apathy to the Eastern Cape needs to consistently be challenged. It has always been this way since professionalism in 1996. Saru, when convenient, uses the Eastern Cape as the missing link to a rugby rainbow nation but those with the responsibility within Saru have never had the heart and intent to make it the link. Instead all love for the Eastern Cape has been commercially and politically motivated.
It is disgusting. It has always been disgusting. It won’t easily change.
The Kings, on Super Rugby entry, should have been the good-news story of unity. It should have been fully endorsed because in a united rainbow nation it is very necessary to have a team from within the Eastern Cape in Super Rugby’s biggest southern hemisphere tournament. The Kings, representative of rugby in the Eastern Cape, should have been the missing link to show the game has finally transformed, not in black playing numbers, but by way of the thinking among administrators, supporters and the media in South Africa.
The backlash, resentment and resistance to the Kings suggests there is more than one link missing in a united South Africa and a united South African rugby structure.
Equally disturbing is how so many supporters refuse to see the significance of the Eastern Cape within the context of a healthy professional South African rugby international presence.
The administration has never surprised me. They have neither the intellectual capital nor the charisma (as individuals or a collective) to inspire. The game’s growth needs pioneers and instead the conveyer belt only produces pensioners, if not by age then certainly by way of enthusiasm and aspiration.
The administration of South African rugby has allowed for an emotional distaste for the Kings among supporters that is misplaced.
The Kings have not replaced the Lions in Super Rugby. They were given introduction to the tournament in place of the South African team that has been the worst performer in Super Rugby in 2012. Not historically, but only this year.
The Lions supporters really have to blame their players, coaches and the Lions administration that the Lions were the ones to make way. The Lions were the architects of their own demise, however temporary it may be.
Saru’s leadership, throughout the last year, have allowed for the resentment from those supporters to fester into something ugly. Not once has a voice within Saru preached perspective and done it with conviction. The platitudes have been that the Kings would play Super Rugby because it was best for South African rugby; that the decision was about transformation and had to be made.
What a cop out.
Transformation is in the way we should be thinking, not in how many black friends we have or how many black players the provincial or regional or national coach selects.
Transformation should be about the right kind of change and not change for the sake of change.
The Kings, as an entity, should have reflected the change of thinking in South African rugby but it has only reinforced how little has changed in the thinking within the game in this country.
Alan Solomons, formerly as EP head coach and now director of rugby, has done an unrivalled job with the EP Kings when you unemotionally consider what he has transformed about Eastern Province rugby in the last four years.
Those who disagree with me will do so on emotion and by way of not having been privy to the transformation, as a rugby entity, from four years ago.
Before you rant and accuse me of being on the Kings payroll, take a drive or get on bus, train or plane and sit with Solomons and do your own analysis of what has been achieved over the last four years.
There is so much vitriol aimed at the Kings because of Saru’s refusal to endorse change and absolute conviction that Sanzar would accommodate a sixth South African team.
The vitriol should be at those who govern our game, not the Kings, who on Saturday won the Currie Cup First Division in a titanic struggle against the Pumas.
To borrow from an American president, those within South African rugby should ask not what the Kings can do for them but more what Saru, as the custodians of the game in this country, could have done for the Kings.
Currently they have done nothing but set them up for Super Rugby failure and sadly they’ve hoodwinked so many supporters to embrace the prospect of this failure because they’ve made the Kings the bad guy, the Lions the fall guy and stood tall as the good guy.
Think about it …
942 Comments
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15 Oct 2012, 18:01 pm
@ Transformation-477
and to think cheeky had the temerity to go and play rugby in the township. fraternising with the enemy. can you trust such a person!
15 Oct 2012, 18:02 pm
Sharkslover must be blogging under the influence of alcohol.
15 Oct 2012, 18:05 pm
In 2005 SARU a perfect opportunity to re-invent the cc with all six franchises participating in a new six team version in 2006. The Spears/Kings would’ve had been better placed to negotiate with the bulk of the youngsters who have gone on to be frustrated at the lack of playing opportunities at the Sharks/Bulls and WP…
My biggest problem with the Kings currently, though, is the signing of journeyman like Andries Strauss, and the kiwi, who’s name I don’t know, when they should be targeting players like Odwa Ndungane, Tshotho Mbovane, Wylon Murray, Marcel Brache, Lionel Mapoe, Wandile Mjekevu, Raymond Rhule, Kurt Coleman, Burton Francis, Elton Jantjies, Lubabalo Mthembu, Siya Kolisi, Khaya Majola, Davon Raubenheimer, Cornel Hess, Hilton Lobberts, Yaya Hatzenburg, Fudge, Sabelo Nhlapo, Trevor Nyekane, Bandise Maku, Scarra Ntubeni, Monde Hadebe, Bongi Mbonambi.
Would rather lose with a Kings team that gave opportunties to talented black players, who are less likely to get opportunies at other franchises where they are competing with springboks and other established players, then 13 white journeyman who aren’t good enough to play for other mostly white teams.
15 Oct 2012, 18:07 pm
@mxhosa-503:
They probably did try. The major problem has been that most players are under contract.
15 Oct 2012, 18:08 pm
@wnbb-502: Ur obviously drunk as it seems you cant keep up with whats being said??
So if one makesa a typing error ur drunk?? nee wat klein mongooltjie, thats your style my friend…
15 Oct 2012, 18:08 pm
@PissAnt-499: who’s getting emo here Mr. righteous Rugby man .. I doubt the original nick is available its been done twice already.. you got any other suggestions regarding who says what and what says who and which fat intoxicated opinion carries any more weight than the next?
There are a host of pisswilly little punks who think their backsides smell like glorified codswallop cheese, fact of the matter only the truth is ever really what carries any sense of any value no matter how indoctrinated perverse these pisswilly little fat faced punks want to try and own the airwaves here.
15 Oct 2012, 18:09 pm
@mxhosa-503:
The other problem, of course, is that whilst you might not them losing, I doubt whether they share your sentiments.
15 Oct 2012, 18:09 pm
@sharks_lover-505: Who said anything about spelling errors???
15 Oct 2012, 18:11 pm
@David-507:
mind them losing.
15 Oct 2012, 18:15 pm
@David-509:
8-|
15 Oct 2012, 18:16 pm
@ahasaid theclown-506:
Me getting emo with you? After so many years? Please Skop you give yourself too much credit.
15 Oct 2012, 18:23 pm
@mxhosa-503: Its a mighty problem because they been dilly dallying around for way too long and its a far way back to getting those players into the system but I share your sentiments I rather have them play for a real cause than play another washed out mediocre bunch of white journeymen.. rather lose with players who feel representative of the region than some more mediocre guns for hire who only doing it to fill some kind of monetary shortfall.
15 Oct 2012, 18:26 pm
@ahasaid theclown-506: Well, Fitzella was told to shut up and it seems he is well and truly shut up.
15 Oct 2012, 18:26 pm
@mxhosa-503: how many of those players are out of contract? how many are interested in coming to the Kings?
how is what you prefer different from previous & current coaches who would rather lose with an afrikaner & soutie players than try the players of colour at centre or flyhalf?
15 Oct 2012, 18:26 pm
@PissAnt-511: I dunno who is getting emo with who here Pissant.. but just to set you straight.. it’s not me.
15 Oct 2012, 18:27 pm
@ahasaid theclown-465: snoeky you been fired from keo again
old k n ob head.
p.s. i am not anti-kings at all so nice try you sensitive old uitlander
15 Oct 2012, 18:30 pm
@trupisero-513: so you reckon you had something to do with it huh plain sailing down the Zambezi river sniffing croc bait.. clever little dicky bird thinking you can shut out your conscience.. no you can’t same way you tried murdering Steve Biko to shut him up he still lives and haunts your paradise party till the crocs have their way with your derms some day.
15 Oct 2012, 18:32 pm
@trupisero-513: Yeah, i noticed katman the clown losing his knickers again.
15 Oct 2012, 18:34 pm
One such racist GEM is found in post 56 where a blatant, sickening, bigoted ‘blackening’ of an EC u21 team is carried out by a political miscreant.
You, however only conclude that by going back to post 42 where names and schools are mentioned (just names and no non-colours of the rainbow).
What manner of sick , biased mentality does that distorting and for what purpose must the lie be given existence?
Another prejudiced GEM(plenty more found) exists in post 246:
” only problem was jaap marais never put a hnp candidate up in natal. ”
How more naked can that be made?
Look also who comes to the celebratory party of 246, in his post of 249, if not another exposed racist who later even goes out of his way to lie about some other person being handed a hiding(yet this one is bringing the undisputed facts to the table)?
The element of sanity can only belong to one ‘Skunk’ as his post 51 and more manifests someone who really is involved in the ugly S.A. situation and reads the signs clearly and correctly.
STINK them out ‘Skunky’. They are a pong worse than that of a pig pen.
Do they all have the surname Pigman and are thus related to Gary & Cary Pigman?
15 Oct 2012, 18:36 pm
trupi tried murdering steve biko?
was this before or after he was actually murdered by apartheid goons?
sheesh joel, you are a little off point here arent you?
@mxhosa-503: so you want the kings to be an exclusively black union?
how apartheid can you be?
learnt from the masters i think.
15 Oct 2012, 18:37 pm
@ahasaid theclown-515:
If I told you once I told you a thousand times Skop, you seem to struggle between posts which are sarcastic and ones that illicit debate.
For the record, my posts to you are 99% of the time sarcastic, has been for the last 4 years. But I will put a disclaimer in next time.
15 Oct 2012, 18:38 pm
@Neilanate-519: you are so funny you expat warrior lol.
skunk is a true blue rugga man, a man to be respected not used for your sick racist agenda.
but like i said, charo’s comment was bound to get a biter sometime, pity it was only a blowfish
15 Oct 2012, 18:39 pm
@rangerman-516: how many times you wanna go around the same circus baby face pretender.. how many times you wanna pretend you so full of yourself kosher little clued up anti black anti tribalism anti progress anti Watson anti this anti that enclave of fake pretentious patronizing white bullshit up your fake conclusions and fake assumptions little fake fornicator face.
15 Oct 2012, 18:39 pm
@PissAnt-521: dont do that sarcasm thing PA, it will not be understood or tolerated.
snoeky has girded himself for war and nothing else will feed the deep hole in his soul.
15 Oct 2012, 18:40 pm
@ahasaid theclown-523:
try harder you wrinkly fossil.
15 Oct 2012, 18:43 pm
@ahasaid theclown-523:
Okay now tell me how you really feel about rangerman…
Disclaimer: This point is an attempt at humour, if you don’t get it, I suggest you get a sense of one.
15 Oct 2012, 18:44 pm
Lmbao @ skop’s new name…way to go skop
15 Oct 2012, 18:52 pm
@Rage-527: Skop is a legend!
15 Oct 2012, 18:53 pm
its like an unholy alliance of the halfwits round here sometimes.
these okes would kill each other for a bit of recognition but group together when the going gets tough.
15 Oct 2012, 18:54 pm
Okay I am off folks, been entertaining but got things today. Have a good evening all.
15 Oct 2012, 18:56 pm
@ahasaid theclown-517: I tried to kill Biko? Fark me you are losing the plot bagelbreath.
15 Oct 2012, 18:57 pm
@PissAnt-526: the feeling is kinda mutual.. so why not bury all the sarcasm pretensions and call it straight up face first .. they ban you here for telling it as it is with no pretentious little innuendo’s and hidden lies about who thinks what behind the scenes.. I don’t play sarcasm all that well I far prefer straight out straight talk and forget the sarcastic about face pretentious bullshit.. or you haven’t been following my gist all these years yet?
15 Oct 2012, 18:57 pm
@wnbb-528: Only in his case its spelt bellend.
15 Oct 2012, 18:58 pm
@trupisero-531: Are you an Afrikaner??
15 Oct 2012, 19:01 pm
@ahasaid theclown-532: Runtcunt pisswilly twoarsedface pseudo fcking pretentioys poncefaced prattified prickstick….
Yep, thats pretty straight alright.
15 Oct 2012, 19:01 pm
@ahasaid theclown-532:
Strange, I always tell it as it is too… I still got my nick from 7 years ago…
Your posts have been a joke for 6 years bud, I am simply returning the favour when chatting to you, in fact, you should thank me for being so considerate!
But I do love it I must be honest, please never stop.
Now I hope you have a good night, wind is kak tomorrow too so I don’t think you will get much work done. Nevertheless, keep your chin up big guy!
15 Oct 2012, 19:04 pm
And again and again, post after post, day after day the apologetic bigots go round and round in emotional rhetoric
. They have become a joke and so recognise it that they now only can joke and not ever deal with the counter point or ‘idea’, for they have none.
One can feel their uncertainty in any situation we find them, in work or play or any other and it is a psychological preparation they are going through for they know that noose, rightly or wrongly, is tightening and making them more and more uncomfortable.
What they will not tell you is that they are checking out distant relatives in distant geographical areas around this globe.
Long may they feel discomforted and unloved .
As for me the Cape even in a cold mid October, when the Granny Smiths are plentiful, is a pleasurable experience.
15 Oct 2012, 19:04 pm
@PissAnt-536:
Never argue with an Idiot – he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience
15 Oct 2012, 19:04 pm
Fuckme
15 Oct 2012, 19:06 pm
@LoanShark-538:
Nah I have known Skop on these mediums for many years now, love his work actually.
But I must be off now.
Ciao!
15 Oct 2012, 19:06 pm
@Neilanate-537: Are you back in the Cape,ET??
15 Oct 2012, 19:08 pm
Scrap that
Fuckit
15 Oct 2012, 19:08 pm
@LoanShark-538: Old line, loanie.You sound like the vintage type of guys??Still driving around in a Ford T-car?
15 Oct 2012, 19:09 pm
@wnbb-534: would that help explain how I tried to kill Biko? Chased him down on my tricycle and took him down with my cowboys and crooks accesories?
What would y ou classify as an afrikaner? Fluency in the language? Speak it as home language? Speak it as home language and of pale hue? Have an ancestor somewhere in the ladt couple of centuries that was dutch/afrikaans? Please tell.
15 Oct 2012, 19:09 pm
@trupisero-531: maybe you not personally .. but search your soul and ask yourself the pertinent question.. would you have done it if it were you in that uniform holding up that torch of attrition over the dark sinister forces of Africa seeking emancipation from all the unrelenting oppression your forefathers sought to manipulate in a foreign usurped land over its indigenous inhabitants forevermore .. think about it.. and try find the honest answer amid all the other denial floating about the laid back Zambezi river.
15 Oct 2012, 19:11 pm
@Dawn-539: Really? Scraping the barrel now…
15 Oct 2012, 19:12 pm
@Dawn-542: Thats better.
15 Oct 2012, 19:12 pm
@trupisero-544: Just trying to help trup.
15 Oct 2012, 19:12 pm
@Dawn-539: and now?
15 Oct 2012, 19:15 pm
Trup you don’t have to take the blame for evils of apartheid
You just happen to be here
The real villains are gone
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