Blue Bulls legend Akona Zilindlovu Ndungane believes the only way to popularise and make rugby an enticing sport to the township folk is to take some of these crucial Currie Cup games to their doorstep.
Speaking in an interview ahead of the semis this past weekend, Ndungane said, “If rugby can be frequently taken to townships such as KwaMashu, Mamelodi and Soweto, Ndungane said he was confident this could arouse much hunger for young aspirant players to take up the game and could also easily ignite passion and a huge following for the various franchises.
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“Keeping the game solely in its traditional areas will not get rugby where it’s supposed to be in terms of the love for the game and attracting township folk, especially aspirant young players of colour,” Ndungane said.
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He accused some unions of paying lip service and just ticking the boxes. “They should frequently take these games there and not just the rugby national side but the Currie Cup too and this will ignite the passion.”
Ndungane, who played mainly as a winger for the Bulls in his heydays, had tipped the Lions to advance to the final but left the door open for his former side. “I am giving it [Currie Cup] to Lions as they are the in-form team and have displayed an amazing hunger for success.
“They [Lions] have a good chance to win the semis and go over the line in the finals to lift the trophy. My money is on the Lions’ side though I have the Bulls too and the Sharks as potential surprise winners.”
As a legend of the Bulls in their glory days, Ndungane said he yearns for the return of the time when ‘rugby was not rugby without the Bulls’. “But I am pleased that [coach] Jake White is working hard to erase the Bulls slump.
“I am hopeful we’re going to see a lot of happiness soon in the Bulls camp and the return of the vibe at Loftus. We last won the Currie Cup three years ago and this is unlike the Bulls,” he said, paying tribute to the selection of 10 Bulls players to the Springboks squad to tour Argentina.
“That alone speaks volumes about the work being done by the coach. If the Boks do well, the unions also perform. As a coach, you always want to see more and more of your players being called up for national duty which speaks to the good work one’s doing.”
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