Hoskins opens door to succession battles
OREGAN Hoskins’s admission that he won’t seek another term as South African Rugby Union (Saru) president has sparked an intense lobby to install Golden Lions Rugby Union president Kevin de Klerk to succeed him.
If successful, the move will have massive ramifications for rugby in the country and Saru’s transformation goals. Hoskins, who survived a threat to vote him out in February, will finish his third term in 2018.
The Sunday Times understands that De Klerk has received the backing of the Leopards and Mpumalanga (Pumas) Rugby Unions, who are led by Andre May and Hein Mentz respectively.
A source, who asked not to be named, said there was a move behind the scenes to install a white Afrikaner president, after 18 years of black leaders Silas Nkanunu, Brian van Rooyen and Hoskins — information that was corroborated by a Saru general council member.
The late Louis Luyt, whom Nkanunu succeeded in 1998, was the last white Saru president.
Mentz and May are apparently not fans of Saru’s transformation charter and its love child, the strategic transformation plan, which wants the Springboks to be half black by the 2019 Japan World Cup.
Apparently the pair abstained from the general council vote on Saru’s transformation charter.
“Mentz and May were the ones that delayed the adoption of the transformation charter,” the source said.
“They don’t sincerely want rugby to transform at the rate that Saru wants to. Part of their push to change the leadership structure in rugby is to make sure that transformation is delayed and, numbers-wise, they [white union presidents] will be in the majority.
“If that were to happen, it would take rugby to the pre-1992 unification days. It would be a direct step back to the amateur era and the 14 provinces would strengthen their control of how rugby is run in the country. The strategic vision to use sport for social cohesion will go out of the window.”
May rubbished the claims while Mentz said: “No comment.”
“It would be premature to back anybody . . . the horse is going to bolt and you're gonna end up on the floor,” said May. “We have not gotten into [presidential] discussions yet. If I perhaps had a conversation with another president on a private basis, then that's something else — a chat between friends.
“There are two years to go before Hoskins departs, so it’s just too early to start playing any cards. And I can assure you there is no talk of trying to [install] anybody on the basis of race. There’s no place for things like that.
“There is only one requirement and that’s ability. Transformation is at the forefront and it is something that you can never ignore. There’s an idea somewhere that the white [union] presidents have an axe to grind about something; it’s nonsense.
“There are some white guys in South African rugby that are patently useless, therefore I’m only interested in ability. I like Kevin and I think he is somebody that can do the work and Thelo Wakefield from Western Province would be an excellent president. I can assure you that the current deputy president Mark Alexander will most probably stand as well.”
De Klerk said: “Rumours and rumours of rumours (sic).”
After failing to replace the Southern Kings — Saru’s politically driven transformation tool — as the sixth South African Super Rugby franchise, the Pumas are looking for new ways to become a franchise.
It’s alleged that one such plan is by affecting the change of regime at Saru.
“The Pumas’ biggest payday would be securing the sixth Super Rugby franchise licence,” the source said.
“In order to get there they want to push for De Klerk to be installed as the next president. It’s very political. Kevin is suave, is a Johannesburg Afrikaner and he always makes sure he looks good. Of course, he’s a former Springbok and a sophisticated individual.”
When asked about this, Mentz said: “It’s always been our intention but the powers that be decide on the different allocations and I have accepted that.
“But that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road. As and when the next opportunity comes, we will definitely consider tendering or going through whatever the process might be.”
There are some white guys in South African rugby that are patently useless, therefore I’m only interested in ability