SA hopes of hosting RWC 2023 are dead

WANDILE Simelane is an outrageously talented rugby player in Jeppe High School’s first team.

So gifted that in 2015 he played wing for SA Schools while only in Grade 11. His teammate and flank Hacjivah Dayimani did the same.

These two black youngsters represent the transformed future of rugby in South Africa.

Both will be 25 years in 2023 and have the potential to play, and even captain the Springboks at that stage of their careers.

Dayimani is also deputy head boy at Jeppe.

But neither is now likely to have the honour of playing a Rugby World Cup (RWC) on home soil because of a political decision taken this week based on the findings of the Eminent Persons’ Group (EPG) report on transformation for 2014/15.

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula revoked the privilege of “hosting and bidding for major and mega international tournaments in South Africa” as a “consequence of not meeting their own set transformation targets”, for four federations.

Rugby, one of four sports hit with the bombshell, is the only one currently bidding for a World Cup.

“World Rugby is not going to comment on the current environment in South Africa,” a spokesman for World Rugby said.

“The host [for RWC 2023] will be selected in 2017 following a detailed and transparent applicant and candidate process working with the bid unions.”

Mbalula’s timing was either well planned for maximum damage or a catastrophic oversight considering the delicate stage South Africa is facing in the RWC 2023 bidding process.

It’s hard to believe it was the latter as Mbalula was part of a SA Rugby delegation at a World Rugby meeting in London last June to drum up support for South Africa’s RWC 2023 bid.

To be able to present a strong bid, SA Rugby needs government to underwrite the associated costs, not least of which is World Rugby’s £100-million (R2.1-billion) fee, a price tag that could escalate.

Yet, after shooting the bid in the foot this week with his announcement, the minister sort of claimed that the decision could be revisited next year when another transformation report is tabled by the EPG. But, of course, that will be way too late.

“We will not support the hosting of the World Cup,” he said.

“There is no federation in this country that can host any megaevent without the support of government.”

Tender documentation for RWC 2023 has to be released this month and the deadline for confirmation of intention to tender is June 2016.

South Africa is up against Italy, Ireland and France, but considering that RWC 2015 (England) and RWC 2019 (Japan) are both in the northern hemisphere, South Africa’s chances were excellent.

SA Rugby cannot make a formal bid without the backing of government and that backing, if and when it comes, won’t happen for another year.

Unless Mbalula does an astonishing about-turn in the coming weeks, South African hopes of hosting RWC 2023 are dead. As it is, they’re on life support. Leaders at SA Rugby have been urgently lobbying Mbalula to reconsider, given the delicate stage of the process, but his spokesman Esethu Hasane indicated there would be “no exceptions”.

Because of transformation and democracy, Simelane and Dayimani can play for the Springboks. Yet due to a lack of it, the chance of playing a home World Cup in their career lifespan is probably gone.

To present strong bid, SA Rugby needs government to underwrite the associated costs, not least of which is World Rugby’s £100-million fee