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, 21:08 pm
@peter mkatha-629:
Those black QBs run too much… Too unpredictable.
@dawn-623:
The Fudge is injured.
15 Oct 2012, 21:13 pm
don’t worry RL i found it the article…
15 Oct 2012, 21:13 pm
@JL1-649: where is the black development hotbed of players prevalent.. in which area or geographical vicinity?. EC.. where else.. KZN.. OFS.. NTVL.. WP ?
EC is where young black kids play rugby by choice and not soccer.. everywhere else in the country unless their parents are affluent enough to send them to posh white rugby schools the average black kid plays soccer.. so it stands to reason that EC is where black rugby traditionally is most developed and also where black kids gravitate toward playing it naturally.. and that is why EC is where it is most prevalent and where it is easiest and most naturally going to become potentially developed…simple deduction actually, they are never going to get the same momentum and push anywhere else in the country but from within the very hotbed of their own developing infrastructure which has already gone someway down the road of scant but burgeoning development.
This Cheeky fear factor is almost worse than the swart gevaar before the liberation of Mandela .. I wonder where it actually originated from? Jake White perhaps.. or who or where?
15 Oct 2012, 21:14 pm
@Transformation-650:
hahahahaha
The compromise involving the Kings’ inclusion in Super Rugby next year is likely to be “at the expense” of not one, but two franchises.
The famous pledge that SARU offered to Parliament was that the eventual resolution of the issue “would not be at the expense of any franchise”, a claim which was proven to be quite hollow with the decision to relegate the Lions and give the Kings just one season to establish themselves in the competition.
Having guaranteed the Kings a place in Super Rugby in 2013 last year, SARU and the provincial rugby unions were faced with the conundrum of fitting six franchises into the five available positions in the South African conference, with the format locked until the present SANZAR agreement runs out in 2015.
The matter was postponed at the request of the unions in January, and with time running short they were forced to reach an uncomfortable solution on Thursday which could end up costing both the Lions and the Kings.
SARU chief executive Jurie Roux said that the promotion/relegation model was the best they could offer seeing as all other possibilities have been explored and ultimately rejected.
“The solution that we have at the moment in a sense keeps all six franchises in play as there is promotion/relegation next year, whichever team finishes last in the conference will play the Lions.
“Obviously it is not great for the franchise that is not in Super Rugby next year, but that being the case I think we have exhausted all avenues, we have tried our best to accomodate all six franchises and unluckily for the Lions franchise they were the team to fall out,” he said.
This means that the Lions have been ‘included’ by being granted the right to fight their way back into the competition through a play-off, whilst the Kings will have to do what no other new franchise has done and avoid coming last in their conference in their debut season.
The reality is that both sides will suffer significantly as the Lions will be in the wilderness without much scope to attract quality players to win promotion and the Kings will have just one season to establish themselves before facing more uncertainty over their prospects in the long-term.
Chairman Oregan Hoskins explained that as all six franchises will continue to get financial support, SARU are happy that they have stayed true to their promise that the resolution would not be at the expense of any franchise.
“What we were referring to was that the team that fell out would be assisted by South African rugby. The extent to which that will happen we obviously still have to look at in conjunction with that franchise,” he said.
Roux added that the funding scheme that is currently in place will remain, which effectively fulfills the obligation of that ambigous statement made to parliament.
“We have got an agreed-upon funding model that was decided in 2009 that includes all six franchises and that model runs up until 2015, any additional funding to that, no decision has been taken.
“When we made that statement in parliament and subsequent to that nobody ever asked us what was going to be the ‘at no expense’, nobody asked us for clarification on that and that is what it was
By Michael de Vries
15 Oct 2012, 21:17 pm
@RL-643: that is actually a good article where jurie shows how slippery he is
what was the “funding model from 2006 to 2009 RL?
15 Oct 2012, 21:20 pm
@mxhosa-647: demographic representation in sports is a load of bs pellie.
once you accept that the conversation will be a lot more balanced.
simply put, most black players are not as fast, strong or skilful as most of their white counterparts at present.
now i will be pilloried as a racist but thats not the real story. the real story is that our government cannot provide for our people or maybe justifiably choose to focus on other more pressing needs (i am awaiting evidence of this though as the country burns) like health, employment, education etc.
rugby developement is stacked in favour of previously white schools and thats why these previously white schools are turning out black talent as they become more inclusive but the numbers are still stacked in favour of whites.
ffs, a black kid playing with no infrastructure andno real coaching or adequate nutrition is being set up for failure imo.
yes, saru can do more, yes, the provinces can do more. but as transie said, the colour by numbers game is over, its time for real effort so thats why i am behind the kings.
lets see if they make meaningful change.
end of rant.
15 Oct 2012, 21:21 pm
@RL-654: nice one!
15 Oct 2012, 21:22 pm
@Transformation-655: Jurie Roux is a demon and Hoskins is the scum that feeds on the devils faeces! may they both rot in hell.
I’m out for now
15 Oct 2012, 21:23 pm
@rangerman-656: outright racist.. nothing but racist.. pure indoctrinated racist bullshit ..
‘most black players are not as fast, strong or skilful as most of their white counterparts at present.’ where you get this garbage.. you suck it right out your inherent racist thumb?
15 Oct 2012, 21:24 pm
@rangerman-656: maybe a better way to describe it is that there are many more priveleged white kids than black kids so the numbers of elite white rugby players being churned out is higher?
i dont think that situation will remain the status quo for long though as PA has posted some interesting stats about the diminishing white player base so it is actually imperative that we widen the net.
15 Oct 2012, 21:25 pm
Good night all. Going to bed in the back seat of my new Range Rover!
15 Oct 2012, 21:26 pm
@ahasaid theclown-659:
anyone but you my little bunny.
your opinion is as useful as one ply to a guy with the gyppos.
15 Oct 2012, 21:27 pm
@rangerman-662: keep fooling yourself you outright self denying racist two faced fake
15 Oct 2012, 21:27 pm
@LoanShark-661:
Have a black one like Luke and Cheeky……………………………………….
15 Oct 2012, 21:28 pm
@ahasaid theclown-659:
He put it wrongly, but the nutrition part may be correct
Where is the black Bakkies, Bekker or Etzebeth?
Surely such a player would get a contract?
We have Fudge but he’s not as big as those guys
15 Oct 2012, 21:30 pm
the startling thing is that if our u20 wc winning team was still overwhelmingly white then saru has failed spectacularly but so has our govt (surprise surprise).
guys like rhule show us what is possible if the pool is bigger and it will only push competition and therefore performance.
inclusivity must be embraced but not at the expense of excellence to paraphrase a real top man, Prof Jonathen jansen.
15 Oct 2012, 21:34 pm
@victoriabok-665: no i put it perfectly, exactly as i meant it.
because if it was not the case we would have a team that was mostly black.
but that part of the post can be taken out of context by snoeky as much as he wants, it proves nothing because at present i am describing a real situation.
does anyone really believe that if a black kid who was bigger, faster and more skilful than willem alberts arrived at the sharks that plum would not play him?
only the racists or those who suffer with self loathing and an innate discomfort with their own skin tone imo.
because its a pro game, coaches want to win, end of.
15 Oct 2012, 21:36 pm
@ahasaid theclown-663: yes yes snoeky, i see you wailing on the poms in which group you include english speaking saffas as an entire group but why dont you stray a little from your local agendas and explain the last apartheid outpost on earth..israel?
15 Oct 2012, 21:37 pm
@rangerman-656:
“most black players are not as fast, strong or skilful as most of their white counterparts at present.”
Maybe not as strong but definitely faster and more skilful. How skilful do you have to be to run into the nearest opponent? That’s about the only “skill” that I see from most white players.
15 Oct 2012, 21:41 pm
and for the record i used the word “most” as a nice little trap for losers like snoeky.
he couldnt help himself, i reckon he thought hannukah had arrived.
the simple fact is that most is an apt word as there are obvious exceptions like guthro, beast, JPP (my man!), habs etc etc.
but top representative teams are still mostly white?
as a disclaimer, i see sides like dale in the ec are mostly black and do very well but thats just it, its a previously white school churning out priveleged black talent instead of priveleged white talent.
we need another 100 dales or glenwoods or paarl gyms countrywide, not a replacement of colour at select schools.
15 Oct 2012, 21:41 pm
@rangerman-667:
“those who suffer with self loathing and an innate discomfort with their own skin tone imo.”
I see this is the new line now. The “chip on your shoulder” line has expired apparently.
Hahaha…
15 Oct 2012, 21:42 pm
@victoriabok-665: certain hereditary genetic metabolism comes into effect in all sport and physical prowess.. how many top world black swimmers are there.. and how many top white sprinters or track athletes are there?
These are genetic facts .. so the Afrikaans genetic pool boasts some of the bigger boned skeletal structures by genetic decent .. but it is not only big 2nd rowers that make up a composite rugby team.. even at the AB’s it is rare that you get an indigenous islander at 2nd row.
But we have a black man from Zimbabwe at front row.. we had another one who went to England due to prejudice and peer pressure surrounding some political type inferences with regard his status here and who now is regarded one of the best tight heads in the NH…there is another Zimbabwean who I hear is playing well in France out on the wing.
Why have Bulls and Sharks been playing black wings for the past how many seasons.. why has Mapoe not been recognized and promoted as furiously and vociferously as say JJ Engelbrecht or Johann Sadie? Where do all the budding junior rugby stars go after their schooling or after their short stints at Craven week? Why do many the white kids tend to mature into Springbok candidates and the black kids fade into the obscurity of also rans?
What is the fundamental difference.. genetics.. or traditional diet .. or nutrition.. or mental application? Or simply lack of development and sheer shying away from promotion due to another prescribed notion to protect and further the sporting culture of the threatened clan?
15 Oct 2012, 21:43 pm
@nama1-669: see you bite into that one bit as though it was a big chocolate birthday cake
read the rest of my sentiments instead of thinking with your apartheid cap on ok?
15 Oct 2012, 21:47 pm
@nama1-671: so you are saying plum would not play this mythical black player because he is a racist?
or are you saying this kid exists but is not being nurtured or even given the option?
because the second sentiment about sums up the possibilities i am alluding to
.@ahasaid theclown-672: the bulls and the sharks?
what about adi and waylon murray?
we have terra and beast?
we had deon kayser?
you talk k u k pel.
15 Oct 2012, 21:49 pm
@rangerman-666: “yes, saru can do more, yes, the
provinces can do more.”
even Prof. Jansen would be hard pressed to explain what SARU & the provinces have done in 20 years to aid inclusivity!
the veiled resistance to change by some in rugby still cannot be tolerated and should be obliterated wherever it rears its ugly head.
15 Oct 2012, 21:50 pm
@ahasaid theclown-672: and its not a “genetic fact” that blacks cannot swim reta rd.
they can and do but most have very little access to facilities you ancient worn out leftist bukking wannabe hippy.
take your antiquated ideas back to the museum where you belong.
15 Oct 2012, 21:50 pm
@rangerman-668: that little bit about the inherently racist Englishman must have hurt your sensitive little soul somewhat no? well its true the hidden agenda pseudo enlightened Englishman is perhaps the worst racist of them all.. he devised and orchestrated racism in his own back yard and exported it across the globe in every guile and guise known to man.
so now you want I turn my attentions to Israel.. what for.. what has Israel got to do with the EC rugby fraternity seeking upliftment and development toward the highest possible realization of its burgeoning rugby potential?
You obfuscating the issue here trying to hide your inherent racist upbringing by throwing another smokescreen which has nothing whatsoever to do with the subject of discussion..
15 Oct 2012, 21:51 pm
@rangerman-670:
Imagine if Cheeky made an “Eastern Cape Maori” side or the “PE Globetrotters” using all the local talent, and they were included in mid and end of year tours building up experience to eventually play Super Rugby
And they could invite a couple of internationals to play in some of their games like the Barbarians
And like the original Barbarians NEVER kicked a ball
Who wouldn’t have supported them?
15 Oct 2012, 21:52 pm
@Transformation-675: you wont get any arguments from me trans, i think i have tried to present my thoughts in a balanced way, not to cause outrage but to open discussion.
lets see where that gets me
15 Oct 2012, 21:53 pm
@rangerman-673:
That statement stood out because it is not true, Rangerman.
Afa the rest of your comment is concerned, yes… SARU must do more. That includes developing rugby in the “black” schools, instead of a black youngster with potential having to go to a “white” school to develop as a rugby player.
15 Oct 2012, 21:55 pm
@ahasaid theclown-672:
> why has Mapoe not been recognized and promoted
He was, remember how he went AWOL to the Sharks
And a judge ordered him back to the Cheetahs
After that he couldn’t be trusted to keep his word and contract and ended up at the Lions
15 Oct 2012, 21:55 pm
@ahasaid theclown-659:
there’s always many sides to any debate, skop. consider the following statement:
“The coaches are going for the bigger, stronger Polynesian players, rather than the quicker, more agile players,” said Steve Hall, a development officer with the New South Wales RL for the past 20 years.
Those figures are even greater at the age group and schools level, so much so, that a decline in young players of Aboriginal and European descent has seen some authorities ask for the rules to be changed, the most important a weight for age rule that concerned parents are pushing for out of the safety of their children. Young Pacific island boys tended to develop faster than others and it was no uncommon to see kids weigh as much as 95kg in an under 11 match. That has created a dangerous mismatch in some games.
now, would you say it is/was racist of the author to state the above?
15 Oct 2012, 21:55 pm
@rangerman-676: so its genetic fact that “most black players are not as fast, strong or skilful as most of their white counterparts at present.”
are you goddamn insane with your generalization about who is as strong or as fast as somebody else.. why don’t you play that fat white slob Chadwick at LH instead of Beast on Saturday.. see how far you get vs the fat white bully boys you dumb racist prick gone wrong.
15 Oct 2012, 21:55 pm
@ahasaid theclown-677: kuuuuuuk man, dont try to wriggle.
if i am an “english racist” then surely you are a jewish wall builder?
@victoriabok-678: there are certainly many ways to skin the cat but the real underlying effort HAS to be made to get grassroots rugby going in black communities countrywide.
who knows, maybe the kings act as a catalyst? time will tell but sure as s h it nothing much else is being done.
15 Oct 2012, 21:59 pm
why does everything have to be abt race, why cant people think past that, so limiting.
15 Oct 2012, 22:00 pm
@rangerman-674:
Boet, we have a recent example with the Siya Kolisi vs Marcel Coetzee situation.
Both 20 years old.
Both fairly young in first class rugby (Siya’s 1st season, Coetzee in his 2nd but played mostly as reserve last year))
Both had storming seasons for their respective franchises.
Who do you choose?
15 Oct 2012, 22:01 pm
@ahasaid theclown-672:
> Why have Bulls and Sharks been playing black wings for the past how many seasons
At the 2004 CC Final a huge guy sat in front of me, a typical Blue Bulls supporter according to the Bulls prejudice of the average Keo poster
Vellies, rugby socks, shorts, Bulls jersey and a Bulls boshoed with two rasta ponytails sticking out underneath
I wouldn’t have tried telling him anything bad about John Mametsa
15 Oct 2012, 22:03 pm
Ranger its is nothing even close to it. Black guys are generally faster and more skillful. The issue is we play a kind of rugby that frowns at skill. People are also not as disadvantaged anymore. Forget what you see in the newspaper. I doubt disadvantaged people can afford DSTV. Go to any township or skomplaas and you will see what i mean.
15 Oct 2012, 22:04 pm
@nama1-680: my statement was true nama or we would see a mostly black team at every top representative level.
sorry bud, remember i did use the words “at present” and then i proceeded to say exactly what you said later in this reply to me.
its not genetic or inherent, its what the system is churning out and instead of trying to socially engineer the system or play the colour by numbers game, we should insist on its replication to include all interested kids across our country.
@ahasaid theclown-683: no, you were the one talking about genetics remember? dont tell me tourettes AND alzheiners are afflicting you now?
black people can swim and jol sports as proven worldwide, they simply arent being given the tools so we end up with heaps of faster, stronger and more skilful white kids competing with a few strong fast skilful black kids and the demographics of the situation are completely different to the demographics of the country.
you are too obtuse or simply to eager to get one over me old timer so whipe the spittle off your chin, put on your nighttime nappy and ***** off to bed ok?
15 Oct 2012, 22:05 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-682:
“The coaches are going for the bigger, stronger Polynesian players, rather than the quicker, more agile players,”
“The coaches are going for the bigger, stronger White players, rather than the quicker, more agile (Black and Colored) players,” (In our case)
Why would it be racist to say it if it is a statement of fact. The actions of the coach is the racist part, not the statement.
15 Oct 2012, 22:05 pm
Farken funny reading this thread and seeing RL absolutely blogshagging Transie left, right and centre… lol
Transie soon gonna get to his snapping point – lose his “composure” and accuse RL of being something horrendous… Like being a Rhodesian
15 Oct 2012, 22:05 pm
@rangerman-679: now he wanna come and pretend he’s an enlightened little do goody two shoes.. ‘you won’t get any argumentation from me trans’.. but a few sentences ago he says in blatant racist fashion.. “most black players are not as fast, strong or skilful as most of their white counterparts at present.”
which is it punky boy.. which racist stance do you actually take.. the goody two shoes lets promote Cheeky and the Kings even if they take their talents for themselves and not transport it across the border to KZN.. or “most black players are not as fast, strong or skilful as most of their white counterparts at present.”
15 Oct 2012, 22:06 pm
@nama1-686:
The injury free one
Like Brussouw and Goosen, play one injured for five
No coach can build an experienced squad with players that are injured, rather a solid above average player who can play week in week out, than a superstar sitting next to the field injured
And the earlier in their career they get injured, the more likely it is to be recurring
Look at Coenie, injured again at this early age, do you think he’ll be playing at 30?
15 Oct 2012, 22:06 pm
@nama1-686: BAd arguement dude, YOu prefer Kolisi, orthers were of the opinion that Coetzee is the better player, the stats clearly show Coetzee to be the better player, do you have to make race issues of everything????
The fact is both players on form should have been selected,
DOnt try knock Coetzee to make your point because that shows your agenda, tell me both should have been selected and i would agree whole heartedly, and it would have been because of form.
15 Oct 2012, 22:09 pm
@nama1-686: marcel.
because he is a shark
@skunk-688: skunk, my man think about kwantu vs old boys as a case in point.
you guys literally ran us ragged (ok we are old ba s tards too haha) and indeed you were faster but look at the facilities on offer to us as opposed to you?
and now take that further an look at the old boys 1sts. black kids are contracted by the NRU to play for these “formerly white” clubs, getting access to top coaching and nutrition, gym programmes etc etc but they make up only a small part of the 1sts squad?
anyways, i want to watch newsroom as i pvr’ed it. have a good evening bud and know that no offence was intended, just calling at i see it at present.
15 Oct 2012, 22:10 pm
@ahasaid theclown-692: Aint it amazing though HG, same people in here and of course a few hiding under other id’s in here causing the same racial Sh*Y*te as usual, and of course then trying to blame others, but everytime they argue they bring race into it.
15 Oct 2012, 22:11 pm
@nama1-686:
i choose neither! they are both disgusting. one is a fairy and the other one a fish.
sies man!
up your game, use better examples.
15 Oct 2012, 22:13 pm
Nama and Skop owned Rangerman’s arse tonight.
15 Oct 2012, 22:13 pm
@sharks_lover-696: That was meant for HG
15 Oct 2012, 22:13 pm
@skunk-688: @skunk-688: ” Black guys are generally faster and more skillful”… Yeah?
Not a generalisation?
Not a stereotype?
Substitute black for white and – faster and more skilful – for higher Intelligence Quotient and you would have many a dumbfuck screaming racist…
Which is exactly what your statement is…
Racist.
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