South African Rugby Union restores race quotas in Vodacom Cup

[The InnFORCEr]

AFP
August 15, 2013 1:49AM


RACE quotas will return to South African rugby next season in a bid to produce more top-level black players, the national body has announced.

A South African Rugby Union (SARU) statement said seven players in each 22-man Vodacom Cup squad must be black, including at least two forwards.

And at least five of the black players must be in the starting line-up with the others on the bench.

The Vodacom Cup is a national second-tier provincial competition played at the same time as the leading five South African sides compete for the Super Rugby title.

There has been government, media and public concern for some time about the small number of black players in Super Rugby and for the national team.

Rugby was considered a "white sport" in Apartheid South Africa but there has been a growing number of black players in recent years, although football remains more popular with the majority of the population.

The Springboks side named on Wednesday to play Argentina contains three black players - wingers Bjorn Basson and Bryan Habana and Zimbabwe-born prop Tendai Mtawarira.

A further two - loosehead prop Gurthro Steenkamp and flank Siya Kolisi - are among the eight replacements for the Rugby Championship opener in Soweto on Saturday.

It has been particularly embarrassing for South African rugby officials when European opponents like England and France contain more black players in Test line-ups.

South African rugby first introduced race quotas in 1999, apart from the Springboks and Super Rugby teams, but they were dropped five years later without a noticeable rise in black stars.

"The Vodacom Cup is a critical step on the development pathway in professional rugby," SARU president Oregan Hoskins said.

"But it had moved away from its primary purpose of presenting opportunities for emerging players, particularly black players.

"The intended outcome is an increased pool of black talent from which Currie Cup and Super Rugby coaches can select and - in due course - more options for the Springboks coach."

SARU chief executive Jurie Roux said a decision would be made later regarding sanctions for Vodacom Cup teams who do not abide by the quota ruling.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/...-1226697453911

[MI5_Dog]

regardless of anything else I'm hoping that this will increase the number of players of rugby in south africa.

[Flying 14]

AFP
August 15, 2013 1:49AM

RACE quotas will return to South African rugby next season in a bid to produce more top-level black players, the national body has announced.

A South African Rugby Union (SARU) statement said seven players in each 22-man Vodacom Cup squad must be black, including at least two forwards.

And at least five of the black players must be in the starting line-up with the others on the bench.

The Vodacom Cup is a national second-tier provincial competition played at the same time as the leading five South African sides compete for the Super Rugby title.

There has been government, media and public concern for some time about the small number of black players in Super Rugby and for the national team.

Rugby was considered a "white sport" in Apartheid South Africa but there has been a growing number of black players in recent years, although football remains more popular with the majority of the population.

The Springboks side named on Wednesday to play Argentina contains three black players - wingers Bjorn Basson and Bryan Habana and Zimbabwe-born prop Tendai Mtawarira.

A further two - loosehead prop Gurthro Steenkamp and flank Siya Kolisi - are among the eight replacements for the Rugby Championship opener in Soweto on Saturday.

It has been particularly embarrassing for South African rugby officials when European opponents like England and France contain more black players in Test line-ups.

South African rugby first introduced race quotas in 1999, apart from the Springboks and Super Rugby teams, but they were dropped five years later without a noticeable rise in black stars.

"The Vodacom Cup is a critical step on the development pathway in professional rugby," SARU president Oregan Hoskins said.

"But it had moved away from its primary purpose of presenting opportunities for emerging players, particularly black players.

"The intended outcome is an increased pool of black talent from which Currie Cup and Super Rugby coaches can select and - in due course - more options for the Springboks coach."

SARU chief executive Jurie Roux said a decision would be made later regarding sanctions for Vodacom Cup teams who do not abide by the quota ruling.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/...-1226697453911

Posted via Mobile Device

[PeterM]

Such a sad state of affairs that in this day and age that prejudices still exist based on race, skin colour, religion or sexual preference. Not just in sport but in society as a whole. Anyone who harbours those thoughts and or views please feel free to return to the rock from under which you crawled out

[chibi]

It has been particularly embarrassing for South African rugby officials when European opponents like England and France contain more black players in Test line-ups.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/...-1226697453911

Embarrassing in front of whom? Though it's 2013, are there parts of the international rugby community still treating South Africans like it's 50's and 60's? I would like to find out who's pointing the "I've seen Lethal Weapon 2!!! You guys still wish you had apartheid!!!" finger at the South Africans, just to see what the agenda actually is. If it is coming from Europe, maybe they're trying to deflect attention from the fact they can boost their test teams through the chequebooks of their cashed-up clubs? If I'm to make a snarky racially-based comment on the subject, would it be "Golly, I didn't know there was such a large Pacific Islander and Polynesian community in England? Good gracious, they don't have English accents? Raaaaa-ther!"

Let the South Africans be, that country has enough problems as it is; without nations of a lesser rugby pedigree trying to look down their noses at them, attempting to take the moral high ground. (When they're just as messed up.) Otherwise, how many more shitty Super-Rugby teams will we have to accommodate just for them to get over their racio-political embarrassment?

[Flying 14]

Posted via Mobile Device

What I meant to was that even more players may now be looking at the Force for a game. More players equals more talent.
Posted via Mobile Device

[jargan83]

Politics and sport shouldn't mix

[brokendown gunfighter]

yeah,right

[jono]

Embarrassing in front of whom? Though it's 2013, are there parts of the international rugby community still treating South Africans like it's 50's and 60's? I would like to find out who's pointing the "I've seen Lethal Weapon 2!!! You guys still wish you had apartheid!!!" finger at the South Africans, just to see what the agenda actually is. If it is coming from Europe, maybe they're trying to deflect attention from the fact they can boost their test teams through the chequebooks of their cashed-up clubs? If I'm to make a snarky racially-based comment on the subject, would it be "Golly, I didn't know there was such a large Pacific Islander and Polynesian community in England? Good gracious, they don't have English accents? Raaaaa-ther!"

Let the South Africans be, that country has enough problems as it is; without nations of a lesser rugby pedigree trying to look down their noses at them, attempting to take the moral high ground. (When they're just as messed up.) Otherwise, how many more shitty Super-Rugby teams will we have to accommodate just for them to get over their racio-political embarrassment?

None when they grow some balls and dissolve sanzar