Why is SA’S rugby being held up so?
IT HAS been over two weeks since the country eased its lockdown to Level 2, and more than three weeks now since SA Rugby submitted its return-to-play plans to the government, but the response from the Sports Ministry remains frustratingly non-existent.
On August 6, Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa gazetted that rugby could resume playing provided SA Rugby explained the measures they would put in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The response from rugby’s governing body was instant – they are desperate for rugby to resume, obviously – but since then there has been nothing but deafening silence.
The green light just will not come, and this after football – which is also classified as a contact sport by the Sports Ministry – restarted the Premier Soccer League a month ago already on August 1.
Why is rugby – a sport that a year ago gave this troubled country an almighty lift by winning the Rugby World Cup – being treated with seeming indifference?
I have never been a conspiracy theorist but maybe, quite possibly, the Minister that was so vehement in his criticism of the South African rugby players that did not take the BLM knee in the English Premiership is, by proxy, taking his wrath out on the sport at home.
The debate over the Sale 8, as they have been dubbed (six of the Sale Sharks players were South Africans) is for another column on another day, but suffice to say rugby in England is a world away ...
Restricted
Meanwhile, our rugby players continue to be restricted to training in mini-groups of five.
They are limited to gym work and skills training because contact remains disallowed until that elusive governmental go-ahead occurs.
The most physical the players can get is to run into tackle bags – and this is while Rugby Championship rivals New Zealand have already finished their post-lockdown competition, the Aotearoa Cup, and Super Rugby Australia is wrapping up.
South African rugby has been left behind, and it is becoming increasingly impossible for the Springboks to hope to be competitive in the Rugby Championship in New Zealand in November, when it has been scheduled by World Rugby.
Rugby coaches agree that a minimum of three to four weeks of contact training is required to ready players for matches, so as not to risk injury.
SA Rugby has said it hoped to get a competition under way by the first weekend in September.
That is a week away and the players have not yet had so much as a scrumming session in training.
Also, Springbok coach Jacque Nienaber has stipulated that he will not take the Springboks to the Rugby Championship if his players have not had at least six domestic games.
Well, time is running out on that score too.
Over the last three weeks, each Monday the rugby franchises think to themselves: “Surely this week we will get the green light,” but it just doesn’t happen, and the question has to be asked: Why the governmental vacillation?