Springboks Rugby World Cup hero Joel Stransky says South African rugby is rotten from the bottom up and top down and needs radical reform if the current slump is to be reversed.
Stransky’s field goal sealed the 1995 World Cup on home soil in an emotional extra-time victory over the All Blacks and another World Cup triumph in 2007, underlined South Africa’s re-emergence as one of the sport’s superpowers.
However, those heady days are starting to acquire a sepia tinge in the wake of their recent woes.
Last year they lost at home to Argentina and Ireland for the first time, to Japan at the World Cup and followed up with defeat to the Pumas this August during a ragged Rugby Championship.
Things reached their nadir last Saturday with the humiliating record 57-15 capitulation to New Zealand in Durban.
With their next fixture coming against a resurgent England at Twickenham in November, South African rugby is having to face up to some painful questions.
Coach Allister Coetzee, whose four wins from nine games in charge gives him the second-worst win percentage after the dark days of Carel du Plessis in 1997, was quick to blame the country’s domestic system as he tried to explain the crushing defeat and Stransky agrees.
“You cannot look at 2016 in isolation, it is a problem that has been coming for some time and you need to look at the game holistically from grassroots level to the top,” Stransky told Reuters.
“The kids coming out of school do not have the same skill-set as in other countries, or are as well coached. The education system plays a major role in that.
“The next level is where the system really fails, from South African Rugby down.
“The (14) unions are not focused on the Springboks being the best team in the world, they are focused on winning the Currie Cup, winning promotion to the Premier Division or succeeding in Super Rugby.”
Stransky believes the six teams South Africa has in the southern hemisphere championship, compared to the five each of New Zealand and Australia, dilutes playing talent.
“It means players are leaving in droves for contracts overseas, further weakening local teams,” he said. “If you come through that weak system, you become a weak player.”
Stransky also believes the domestic set-up is hamstrung further by a lack of coaching talent at all levels.
“To be frank, in some instances we have got a bunch of inexperienced, amateur coaches leading our top domestic sides,” he said.
“There appears to be no long-term plan, no mentorship and little goes into improving coaching structures. Something needs to change.”
Worthless isn't exactly right, the Zim currency is worthless
Mielie
Guest
The Roar, being an Australian Blog, requires the posts be politically correct. And rightly so. Being PC is a new fact of life. Common sense has been a fact of life since a little after humans started walking this earth. Common sense, and not PC tells us exactly what is wrong with Rugby Union in the once great Rugby playing nation, The Republic of South Africa.
JT
Guest
It's a combination of various factors that has lead to SA rugby becoming what it is today : The Rand going from a "stronger" currency to being worthless, meaning players earn a lot more overseas. Quotas,political interference, call it what you want, has definitely lead to weaker springbok and super rugby teams and eroding the aura of the achievement of playing for these teams.This extends to the coaching as we currently see the mess the springboks are in. Life in SA is not great, the manic crime and corruption has hugely eroded the quality of life. Skills development or lack thereof means players, particularly backline players who need it more, can't reach their full potential even though they're amazing athletes. Playing an archaic style of rugby doesn't help either.
nickoldschool
Guest
Didn't say anything different re the education system. I was obviously referring to something that used to work as all saffas I know were educated in the old system or at the latest in early 2000s (i have no 15-18yo saffa friend). And am well aware of students strikes, quotas issues or what happened at UFS in Feb this year. This is precisely why many still see an overseas move as a pretty decent option. Re CC, I still think it could have been better managed and that they had a great product. That it is not longer relevant/true today is the issue perhaps. Happy to stick to my outdated views shared by quite a few of your compatriots anyway.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Thanks for posting this neville, just talked about it with a saffa who didn't know the link! Agree with what Mains says except the part about 'ensuring the 300 saffas playing overseas come home'. I think he's being overly optimistic here, many would not come back, not if the country does not change. Imo many/most rugby guys who left SA did so for the same reasons 2m white saffas left in the last 2 decades. It was not only a rugby decision, it was a life changing decision. Even if tomorrow SA were offering better salaries in rugby i reckon many would stil choose to leave if the system, govt and SA society remains the same i.e corrupt. Guys like Rathbone had it all there yet they left. Bernard le Roux had just been offered a SR pro contract at the Bulls when he left for France with the equiv of 100 euros in his pocket. Have read dozens of stories like this. When you feel your own govt wants you out, does not value your and your kids and does not want you to be part of country's future chances are many will eventually leave, rugby or not. Many saffas i have met keep telling me 'nick if you were a talented 18yo saffa in today's SA you would look elsewhere too, I know I would and that's what I did'. And they are probabky right.
Blue
Guest
Enlighten us. Quotas? Nah. The impact of quotas is overstated. Quotas at coaching level yes but not at a player level so much. Yet
Blue
Guest
I would suggest you refresh your view of the education system in South Africa. Your experience is of people coming out of a system that USED to work. It is falling apart from school to University level. Standards have plummeted. Students strike at the drop of a hat. Students sitting their law finals this year at Wits were interrupted by rampaging hordes marching for free education. Exams were delayed. University exemption is a farce. Grades are largely irrelevant. So no, educational institutions in SA have abandoned the notion of educating. Back to rugby. If a schools program is not going to coach skills or be expected to, we are totally doomed. Play for your mates and club. All good. Rah rah. Chest beating nonsense. It does not wash at Super level. That requires organisation,, leadership and skill. Three things sorely lacking in South Africa. Your post refers to such a typical South African outlook on rugby. One that is insular and looks to the past. With the greatest of respect, this viewpoint will NOT carry the game forward. People always bang on how important the CC is for building SA depth. Well it's outdated, obsolete, ineffective and will not carry the game forward to enable the SA super and test teams to compete. Any fool can see that. We used to get the CC games here in Aus. No longer. IT is not considered worth watching, even by the Saffas like me. That's a real pity.
Neville
Guest
This article by Laurie Mains who has an intimate knowledge of SA rugby over he last two decades says it all; http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/RugbyChampionship/mains-blame-quotas-for-bok-woes-20161012
PeterK
Roar Guru
agree with all that Yes it is overlooked that the brain drain of millions of the educated and wealthy left SA. This has no doubt affected the quality of life in SA society, the corruption etc is not the only reason for things like breaking down infrastructure an example is rolling power outages, lowered hospital quality care. This makes it a bit of catch 22, the rand keeps going down, the society infrastructure weakens, corruption, more crime , this of course leads to more push factors for people leaving. Of course the people with skills find it easiest to migrate.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Agree with your first sentence pk. And it's not only the players who have left but some of their best ppl. No country can keep high standards when they lose millions of their most educated ppl. That's why imo it's not only a rugby problem they have but a social one. The 1.5 or2M saffas who are now overseas are/were obviously not all Boks material but am sure there were a few Haylett-Petty, Wes Goosen, Rathbone, Vickerman, Le roux etc in the lot. re SR, am not against it and love it obviously but I think in a country with an already strong domestic structure like SA it should have been better managed and cc should have been givem more respect. If you want numbers at youth/amateur level you need to dream small before you dream big, thats why its important to keep strong local and regional structures. I have no doubt the CC could have become a strong fully professional comp, alongside SR perhaps. .
PeterK
Roar Guru
IMO the number of top players leaving to europe and the forced transformation at all levels including coaches is what has brought SA to this. I do not see how not having the funds from super rugby and just keeping a semi pro currie cup comp would have overcome the hurdles I mentioned above.
Johnny J-Dog
Guest
Once again, no mention of the real cause of the problem with SA rugby and the exodus of their players.
nickoldschool
Guest
“The kids coming out of school do not have the same skill-set as in other countries, or are as well coached. The education system plays a major role in that. “The next level is where the system really fails, from South African Rugby down. “The (14) unions are not focused on the Springboks being the best team in the world, they are focused on winning the Currie Cup, winning promotion to the Premier Division or succeeding in Super Rugby.” Agree with some points Stransky makes but not all. The Education system's main goal is to produce well educated young men and women, not rugby stars. I have worked and lived with many internationals in my life and South africans are/were consistently among the most educated, well rounded I have ever met. I don't know what they do or did there but it clearly works. I would struggle to find a better education system. And all saffas I have met here with kids switching from SA to Oz system, confirmed what I felt, they are/were well ahead over there. Dunno how it is now in 2016 but if they keep the high standards they used to have they will be all right. Re the fact currie cup teams and all clubs focus on winning their own comp and not the NT again I disagree with Stransky. This is the essence of rugby, at least the rugby I know: you play for your mates, for your club, for your colours and community first. What saddens me the most about SA rugby is to see what's happened with the currie cup. As a kid in the 1980s, the Currie cup was seen as the n1 domestic comp in the world, we sometimes got live games on TV! Am talking about pre Internet/cable TV era. Imo the SARU should have strengthened it instead of going with SR. I am absolutely certain many big TV networks would have paid big bucks to watch a strong Currie Cup and saffa rugby would not be where it is now. Would they have won more WC? Maybe not but but they would have remained the rugby power they used to be and kept their unique rugby culture.