‘Our sport is massively transformed’

South African Rugby Union (Saru) president Oregan Hoskins published a letter on 9 September concerning the recent hysteria surrounding the Springbok selection entitled, An Open Letter to South Africa from the President of SARU.

On the day Hoskins’ letter was published, the Agency for New Agenda (ANA) party took Saru to court in an attempt to prevent the Springboks from travelling to the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The ANA have subsequently withdrawn their case.

Their voice, however, joins continued criticism from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and an ongoing national debate concerning the perceived racial inequality of the Springboks.

Former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers was reported to have attended an event at which the Springbok jersey was burned in an outrage at the lack of black players in the side.

This proceeded his vocal criticism of current coach, Heyneke Meyer for a lack of what is nationally being named ‘transformation’ in the side.

Hoskins responded to the accusations that rugby has not been racially transformed by referring to ongoing policies that Saru had executed before being criticised.

The letter stated, “Where were the critics almost three years ago when we became the first sport in [South Africa] to hold a national transformation indaba (in November 2012)? We invited the MECs for sport of all nine provinces as well as the sports minister and [South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc)] leadership to the occasion as we began to map the way forward. We even set out our intentions in a Transformation Declaration.”

Hoskins went on to say that the plan was ratified. “Our Strategic Transformation Plan has six dimensions (demographics, access, social responsibility, performance, corporate governance and capacity building); it has 71 measurable key performance indicators; it has targets for every aspect for every year to 2019 – we have nailed our colours to the mast.”

Hoskins also responded to the question of why there were only eight black players in a squad of 31 when 84 per cent of the under-18 population was black African by referring to the statistics of how many children are exposed to rugby at a grassroots level. Hoskins listed the low statistics of each province but concluded, “Only about 10 per cent of schoolboys ever see a rugby ball in primary school and by the time we get to high school, that rugby playing population has dwindled to a fraction at the first XV level. It is from that tiny subset of potential players that Springboks emerge.”

Despite this, Hoskins stated that rugby is able to systematically identify talent and uplift players from any social background.

Hoskins called upon South Africans to show support for the Springboks and not wish the team or any of the players ill.

He stated, “Those players will move heaven and earth to make our country proud; they will throw their bodies into those places where the contest is at its fiercest and their chests will be bursting with pride at the honour of representing every single one of their fellow countrymen.”

Hoskins’ letter can be read on the official SARU website.