South Africa’s rugby team has been found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute and fined for protesting Bakkies Botha’s suspension by wearing armbands during the third Lions test.
The punishment, which included a STG1,000 ($A1,970) fine for team captain John Smit and STG10,000 ($A19,680) for the South African Rugby Union, was announced on Monday by the International Rugby Board.
The charges stem from the Springboks decision to wear armbands in the third Test against the British and Irish Lions on July 4 marked with the words “Justice 4 Bakkies” to protest the two-week suspension for lock forward Botha.
Botha was cited for a challenge on Lions prop Adam Jones which left the Welshman with a dislocated shoulder during the Springboks’ 28-25 victory at Pretoria in the second Test.
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August 25th 2009 @ 11:11pm
ohtani's jacket said | August 25th 2009 @ 11:11pm | Report comment
Bakkies Botha. June 29. Never forget.
I suggest a vigil every year. Neil Young can sing Rockin’ in the Free World.
August 25th 2009 @ 11:15pm
Knives Out said | August 25th 2009 @ 11:15pm | Report comment
What about Mr Bojangles, and then Bakkies can come out and do a little dance in the middle of the pitch.
August 25th 2009 @ 11:30pm
ohtani's jacket said | August 25th 2009 @ 11:30pm | Report comment
The SA Rugby website says that Bakkies likes country music. Awesome. Cowboy Bakkies Botha. Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be Springboks.
August 25th 2009 @ 11:45pm
Knives Out said | August 25th 2009 @ 11:45pm | Report comment
I wonder if it’s The Flying Burrito Brothers kind of stuff or Glenn Miller. I can imagine Botha sitting in his ice bath.. “I am a lineman for the County..”
August 26th 2009 @ 12:00am
ohtani's jacket said | August 26th 2009 @ 12:00am | Report comment
Looks like a Garth Brooks man to me.
August 25th 2009 @ 11:18pm
Ben J said | August 25th 2009 @ 11:18pm | Report comment
And at IRB HQ they will say ‘It’s Miller time”
August 26th 2009 @ 2:51pm
Grant P said | August 26th 2009 @ 2:51pm | Report comment
These ‘fines’ imposed by the IRB are laughable and just feed the arrogance of the Springbok coaching and playing staff. The IRB or should I say PTA are becoming more misguided with every decision they make. We, the paying public are paying their wages and quite frankly we are being dudded at every turn. The flagrant disregard for health and safety issues by the Boks has become an institution in South African rugby that has been allowed to continue for far too long.When is the IRB going to stand up and make an example of them.
De Villiers is a loose canon whose lack of PR nouse is obviously being exploited by the rest of the powers that be. The puppetmasters must be laughing heartily.
IRB wake up!
Grant P
August 26th 2009 @ 6:17pm
Christiaan said | August 26th 2009 @ 6:17pm | Report comment
@Grant P
Sorry to take you up on something that is a side issue in your post, but Pieter de Villiers is not the puppet everyone thinks he is. He is certainly eccentric, and has caused a media circus in the aftermath of the Burger eye gouge incident that did way more to bring the game into disrepute than the armband incident. One can do an analysis of the contributing factors of that incident alone. (mix in a hysterical and baiting press, an indefensible act with video evidence, misplaced loyalty to a player, poor language ability by someone who in his mother-tongue and idiom has the gift of the gab, some personality issues related to the success of his predecessor and the political expectations because of his minority status, more than a little discomfort with his employers, and a few other things and you have some of the biggest cringing moments off the pitch)
BUT, that said, Pieter de Villiers is not the window-dressing puppet (that does not actually coach) that most people on this forum seems to believe he is. The Springbok squad seems to be very comfortable with him and there are lots of reports of how he relates very well on a personal level with all the players. And this is not just because they are winning, it was also the case when the squad came last in the 3Nations last year (when incidentally they tried to play the same ball in hand game that Graham Henry now champions).
PS. of course I believe that there are many better coaches out there. I for one would love to see John Mitchell coach the Springboks (not that he ever would, but I think that he will be the coach to bring the best out of the squad of players). The only point I want to make is that Div is definitely not a puppet. I think that many people who pushed to get him appointed as coach THOUGHT that he will be their puppet, but it turns out he is not.