SOUTH AFRICA’S DAYS OF DOMINANCE SEEM OVER BUT AS THEY BEGIN THEIR AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS IN DUBLIN THERE IS NEW HOPE OF RESOLVING THE ISSUES
isolation ended and, under Nick Mallett’s coaching, they set a then world-record-equalling run of 17 consecutive Test victories in 1998. Yet those days of dominance are long gone — last year they were beaten by Italy for the first time — and, in any case, the challenges of South African rugby are inherently political.
Rainbow nation
Even the sweetness of South Africa’s greatest rugby triumph, winning the 1995 World Cup, was political in nature. The images of reconciliation, sealed by Mandela wearing a Springbok shirt as he celebrated victory over New Zealand in the final, were matched by the fleeting ecstasy of the “rainbow nation”.
“The World Cup united the nation and there were remarkable scenes of black taxi drivers dancing with white supporters,” Mallett agrees, “but I remember thinking: ‘This is not the reality of South Africa.’ The next day the privileged and wealthy went back to the suburbs and the poor and the unemployed returned to their areas. So it masked the problems we faced later.”
The 1995 Springboks team included Chester Williams. A “coloured” man (a word still used in post-apartheid South Africa to describe people of mixed ancestry), Williams was a dynamic wing who made the team on merit. But five years later Mallett knew he had to push transformation — in answer to government pressure and also because it was important to open up opportunities. He selected Owen Nkumane as the first black African to play for the Springboks when South Africa toured Britain and Ireland in 1998.
Nkumane played a few midweek games and looked below the requisite standard. His playing career faded into obscurity and he made the equally difficult transition as a black man into the white world of the South African rugby media where he is now a popular commentator and interviewer.
His selection had been booed by white fans but Nkumane saw the wider picture.
“I was surprised to be picked,” he says, “but a group of us had played for SA Under-20s. We were just on tour for experience but it was still a proud moment. I remember walking along a London street and a South African stopped me and said: ‘You’re doing this for all of us.’ That hit home.”
Thando Manana became the third black Springbok two years later.
Despite government insistence that at least half of the Springbok squad at the 2019 World Cup should be black and coloured players, Manana argues that not enough is being done to instill change at all levels. “It starts with change in our hearts and minds. In the current Springboks set-up you have black players sitting in one corner, white guys in another corner. We need them sitting together under an umbrella of unity.”
Still fixing it
As a journalist Retief opposed apartheid but, as he underlines now, racial sensitivities mean an objective critique is not always possible. “People deny the quota system still exists but it obviously remains. And if you criticise a black or coloured player it’s seen as racism and you get crucified on social media. But I don’t know how else we could have done it because we had to find a way to bring in black players. It’s just sad it’s endured for 25 years.”
Mallett still believes the government aim of reaching 50 per cent black and coloured players in the Test side by 2019 is manageable — even if no other team in world rugby faces such a challenge. “Ideally we would like to just pick the best players but transformation is part of South Africa and it is possible to get close to that mark even now. But the coaches and selectors haven’t used their brains. We even picked a white scrum-half, Francois Hougaard, on the wing — as Allister Coetzee [the Springboks’ coloured head coach] did last year. It was a poor decision because we have some great black wingers. It was a real slap in the face of any competitive black player. And when you look at full-back we have three players, Dillyn Leyds, Warrick Gelant and Andries Coetzee, who is holding the position down. They are of similar ability. My view is you must give the opportunity to the black player [Gelant or Leyds] because you’re not going to weaken the side.
The targets for transformation have caused ructions. In 2015, the build-up to the World Cup was disrupted when the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) called for the then coach Heyneke Meyer to be sacked over the lack of selection of black players when only Habana and Mtawarira were picked in a match-day XV.
And for all the possibilities offered should they win the 2023 bid, it was only allowed to go ahead when a ban on the South African Rugby Union applying to host tournaments for failing to reach transformation targets was lifted weeks before the deadline to apply.
Botha laments the way in which transformation is used to excuse the Springboks’ decline rather than focusing on the diminished skill levels in South African rugby. “I never had any complaints regarding the way forward. It’s the new South Africa and for rugby to grow you must involve everybody. I just get fed up with people saying the quota system is the problem. Absolute nonsense. We are not losing because of quotas. We lose because we’re not playing well.”
Manana is more concerned that the identity of the coaches for next year’s Super Rugby teams reflects the old pattern. “The Lions will be coached by
Structural problems
Deep structural problems remain. There are not enough professional players to sustain the 14 unions, each of whom has an equal vote, and moves are under way to shrink the structure to eight or nine provinces. But the smaller unions are unlikely to vote themselves out of existence.
Today the Springboks start their road trip in Dublin. After Ireland they play France, Italy and Wales. “I don’t have trepidation,” Mallett says. “It’s just a shame we’ve got Ireland, the hardest game, first. But French rugby is not great and we’ve beaten them this year. We should beat Italy by doing the basics. Winning against Wales is really possible. Three wins out of four would be satisfactory. If we get four out of four we will have turned the corner.”
There will be more spice to the first two games because Ireland and France are smarting from the likely loss of hosting the 2023 World Cup. “South Africa is in dire need of positive news politically and economically,” Mallett says. “So this is a huge stimulus. We had an outstanding bid and the presence of Cyril Ramaphosa [the deputy president] and our minister of sport, Thulas Nxesi, confirmed strong government support.”
Manana, who at first seemed pessimistic that there would be significant change within South African rugby over the next 10 years, has rekindled optimism around the 2023 World Cup.
“Fortune favours the brave,” he says. “For me it shows evidence of our fighting spirit and the fact we can still draw inspiration from Nelson Mandela. I believe South Africa has the persistence and determination to host a World Cup of real magnitude. If we get it then the real test will be if this World Cup can unify rugby in a lasting way. So winning the bid is only a foundation. The premise should be to host a wonderful World Cup but, also, to heal the game in South Africa and make it accessible to all.”
South African journalist