Springbok trophy parade was a farce

“I was actually watching at a tavern because I didn’t have a TV at home‚” Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said as he was reflecting about the time he watched the 2007 Rugby World Cup (RWC) final.

It was a reflection of how far he had come and the struggles he overcame to get where he is today. The man and his comrades are an inspiration to the new generation of boys – and girls – who see there is opportunity for them to escape their poverty and circumstances.

So, while I take away nothing from the noble gesture to have the Boks’ World Cup trophy tour around the country, I fail to fathom the vision to parade the Webb Ellis Cup mainly in cities or townships. It baffles me why the trophy is only paraded at limited spaces.

I think that picking a few villages in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Free State and so on would have been more significant than the places that this parade actually covered.

Many of the people who were lined up on the streets of Pretoria and Johannesburg are people who are most likely to bump into Siya at Loftus or Menlyn after the World Cup euphoria has died down. These are the same people who may see Siya at Sandton City and ask for a selfie or two with the first black Bok captain to win the Rugby World Cup.

If the aim of this parade was to ignite the fire within our nation and remind people that there are endless opportunities out there, then the attempt failed dismally.

Our cities are already places where rugby is a sport at different schools. Our villages or rural areas, on the other hand, don’t even have a single rugby field.

I can imagine how a child in Ga-Mashashane in Limpopo, Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga, or Letlhabile in the North West, would feel to be up close and personal with people they only see on TV. It would inspire and encourage them so much.

The trophy parade shed light on how unequal we are still. It continued to perpetuate inequality, class and privilege.

Those that still had to fight for a spot to watch the 2019 RWC final at taverns in rural Mzansi still have to watch the parade on TV, or hear about it on radio.

Those that witnessed the parade are the same people who watch the Lions, the Bulls and all the other local rugby teams every now and then. They watched the RWC in the comfort of their homes on huge HD TVs, or at fan parks.

To call this a “national tour” is an insult. As I watched on TV, the people who gathered, black and white, are people who have the means.

These are people who most likely take their children to expensive schools with proper sporting facilities for all sporting codes, including rugby. If we want to unite South Africans, let us remember that South Africa is way bigger and broader than Pretoria, Johannesburg, Soweto, Durban CBD, Kwa-Mashu and Cape Town cities and townships. This tour was nothing short of a farce – it was a total gimmick!

Kabelo Chabalala.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.