Banning overseas selections key to transformation

That is so beyond incorrect its unbelievable Please cite your reference for this The correct history is that Maoris were banned from Touring SA by the White Government in the earliest tours Then they had to tour as Honorary Whites

Sounds good in practice In reality The Euro Springboks are knackered after a long season and have been playing at a level well below the Super Rugby competition If SARU want a competitive team then they must select on merit - but force those that want to play for the Springboks to remain in SA - the same as NZ has done... However this is not going to happen And a transformed team may take a long time before it is of sufficient quality to compete and how does the sport continue to progress if the top tier is failing?

Ironically the NZ Maori ABs were banned from touring SA a couple of years back, because the ANC didn't like(or outlawed?) racially selected sports teams.

I wonder if anyone will consider getting the reverse of the Micheal Jackson treatment to become black......looks like the legend was wrong, it does matter if your black or white.

...and Jake White better not put a foot back in the country.

The Beast is from Zimbabwe.

Such a shame, such a beautiful country. Loved every minute of my time in Cape Town and beyond. Remember watching England play Aus in a pub in Constantia, the split of support for the two teams from the locals being about 50:50. Went for a leak at half time and found myself standing next to James Small at the urinal! Think I got stage fright! Sat next to Nick Mallet in a coffee shop about a week later. Small world in Cape Town!

James, absolutely it will accelerate migration of good-but-not-necessarily great white players to EU/UK/Japan/Oceania/N America. That's sort of the point of the ANC. 'Africa for the Africans.' They slyly redefine a nationality by race; knowing the wider world won't care, or apply principle

I agree. In the future, when it comes down to the quota, it would be a real shame for the better player to not get selected based on colour. I guess the shoe is on the other foot now in SA some would say, it just seems like quotas are a retrograde step to me. I reckon we will see more white players following their parents' heritage when choosing which country to play for.

Hi James, I think you'll find that there will always be players looking overseas for playing opportunities regardless of where they come from. IMHO the question for SA Rugby is, "What is the value of a Springbok jersey to the SA psyche as whole?" We know what the All Black jersey means to the majority of NZers, now that SA is commited to the path they're on, for the players that are good enough to wear the Springbok jersey, esp the white players, is wearing the Springbok jersey going to be enough to keep them in SA?

" Running and passing the ball in space I think will come more naturally to the quota targeted group and that’s where the gains will make up for the losses" Unfortunately this cannot be proven and current evidence points to the contrary. The Eastern Province Kings Currie Cup and age groups are predominantly players of color, with a coach of color and they play a dire, poor brand of rugby with absolutely no enterprise. In the Varsity Cup, there are numerous teams that are almost completely transformed with coaches of color like NMMU and the Madibaz, and all of those teams play typical South African Rugby, most of their tries game from – guess what – the rolling maul. Compare this to Maties, Pukke and the Ikey Tigers – teams that are predominantly white – and they pale in comparison in terms of exciting, skillful play. Take the Lions in Super Rugby, one of the least transformed sides yet much more skillful than the most transformed side, the Stormers. I can give you our schools as well if you like. There is no evidence to your statement. In another of your comments, you say that players of color will become and showcase much more skill than white players if they were exposed to an environment that advocates it. This is rather funny. Let all the white players play under that mindset and freedom and they will be equally as skillful as they already are and showcase in the lower levels. You also seem to forget that the Springboks of yore who played exciting rugby were predominantly white. Ray Mordt, Michael du Plessis, Danie Gerber, Carel du Plessis, Mannetjies Roux, do any of them ring a bell? Are you going to tell me that neither of them played exciting rugby? I understand that you like the idea of transformation, Tman, but your argument looks like it was pump fulled of AK-47 rounds, that's how many holes are in it. You want to say that players of color are naturally more gifted to play exciting rugby just because you want to compare an African black to a Polynesian. The two ethnic groups are not only geographically worlds apart, but scientifically highly differential, there is no basis to your argument. You seem to be selective in your thinking. Take all you have said and apply it to white players and you will get the exact same result. Take every white player in South Africa and give them the freedom to play and you will see the same result. The Lions are a perfect example of that.

Indeed. Affirmative action is more firm for some than others!! Read Ilana Mercer: Into the Cannibals Pot: Lessons for America from Post Appartheid South Africa where she rails against this sort of stuff and minority oppression! Great article by the way. It's going to be fascinating. In a sense, living in Australia is soooo benign and so ordinary where mundane, often trivial issues take centre stage. It would be such a fillip for this country to face the challenges that SA has. Here is the time that the character of the nation reveals itself.

Hey guys, finally plucked up the courage to join and comment after following you all for a couple of years! I'm interested in this subject in particular, after spending two very enjoyable months in Cape Town in 2000 prior to joining the British Army with a very dear friend whose family hail from Constantia. I am interested in how much these changes to the national selection policy affect the desire for non-black African players to try to represent their country, given that it would seem these changes would make it far more difficult for them to do. Many of my South African friend's white, twenty something university graduate friends were all going to the UK, even in 2000 because they saw little professional opportunity for them in SA. Does this ruling encourage aspiring Springboks to look further afield for playing opportunities?

Cheers, Machooka. No, the term "generically non-white" is all-inclusive of Indian, Coloured, and African black. Not my term: it's the way SARU and ANC have explained their contract re transformation.

100% Sam.

Is there a winger clearly better than Habana at the moment as well? Is Bismark du Plesis still not up there in teh hooking stakes, dont know how he has been going in the NH either, but him and Britz seem to still be better than anyone else flying around in SA, although havent seem many Bulls games to know how Strauss has been playing.

I like Jankes. I'd have him at 10 anyway. Mind you, I'd have Cecil Afrika in there someone too. That's just me.