Two steps forward, then two steps back
One has to admire the Lions for the way they have been able to dig their way out of the abyss of financial ruin that faced them when they were relegated from Super Rugby in 2013.
Just five years later and they are unquestionably South Africa’s premier franchise, the one most young players probably want to play for and producing a very popular brand of rugby.
But amid all this success and Super Rugby trailblazing, there have also been messages coming out of Ellis Park that paint a picture of a franchise that is still mired in the past in many ways and does not seem able to be the standard bearer of a future game all rugby fans should be hoping becomes truly the sport of all South Africans.
As much as the Lions deserve huge credit, one has to call them out for some of the mixed messages that they have sent out recently; as we have seen after another week of anguish caused by awful social media messages, perceptions are vital when it comes to inclusivity.
With Swys de Bruin jetting off overseas with the Springboks, the Golden Lions needed a new head coach for their Currie Cup campaign. But instead of heading for the safety of port and elevating one of the assistant coaches in Philip Lemmer or Joey Mongalo, or even promoting Bafana Nhleko, who has coached the SuperSport Rugby Challenge team as well as the Lions Under-19s and Under-21s and been an assistant with the Junior Springboks, they chose strength and conditioning coach Ivan van Rooyen.
Now Van Rooyen has undoubtedly played a very important part in their success over the last few
Ken Borland
years, but his helicoptering into the head coaching job was inevitably attacked as being anti-transformation in certain quarters.
At this delicate stage in our country’s history, organisations really need to be sensitive about how their actions will be perceived by the majority. I am not saying it was wrong to appoint Van Rooyen, who played for the Lions at junior provincial level, and has gained some insights from Rob Walter, the former Proteas strength and conditioning guru who then became head coach at the Titans cricket team and enjoyed great success.
But the reasons for Van Rooyen’s appointment were never fully explained and even more shade is thrown at the Ellis Park hierarchy when Van Rooyen admits he won’t be doing any actual coaching but is in more of a managerial role.
Why was this not explained properly on the day of his appointment, thus avoiding plenty of bad publicity?
The prospect of getting involved in rugby in Gauteng for a young black player or coach is daunting enough without considerable barriers being put in their way, like the recent acquittal of Roodepoort U-21 players on charges of racism during their April match against Wanderers.
While acknowledging that Sanele Ngcobo of Wanderers was “an honest and truthful witness” who testified that racial slurs had been made, the Golden Lions Rugby Union disciplinary tribunal ruled that because he could not prove who had specifically spoken the words, a not guilty verdict was appropriate.
For the physical abuse that degenerated into a mass brawl at the end of the game, one Roodepoort player was effectively handed a one-match ban. Talk about a slap on the wrist … and another slap in the face for black rugby players.
To add insult to injury, when Wanderers were on their way to Roodepoort to play a later fixture, their bus broke down and they missed the game. The GLRU docked them five points, meaning Roodepoort now qualify for the Gold Cup instead of them.
Having reinvented themselves so spectacularly on the field, the Lions rugby fraternity now really need to focus on the message they are sending out to their future market.