Andy Capostagno
South African Rugby Annual 2001 edited by Andy Colquhoun (Sarfu and MWP)
The South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) is a paranoid beast. So much so that on page two of this annual it states: “The views represented in this annual are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Sarfu.”
This suggests controversy lies within the 480 information-packed pages, but nothing could be further from the truth. The scandals of last season are largely ignored and it is not difficult to detect the heavy hand of censorship behind Andy Colquhoun’s opening notes.
There is no criticism, for instance, of Sarfu’s shocking handling of Springbok coach Nick Mallett. “He was called before a Sarfu disciplinary hearing, but resigned as coach during the first day of the hearings, which were halted,” is all it says.
You have to read between the lines for authorial comment and the closest Colquhoun comes to direct criticism is by making the potent point that when coaches lose their jobs in this country they are not recycled as they would be in games such as American football:
“… the considerable coaching talents of men such as Mallett … will be lost from the South African game at a time when this country cannot claim to be blessed with a surfeit of top-flight coaches”.
But this is a book of statistics, not politics, and as such it succeeds admirably, adding a much-needed list of South Africans who have played for other countries and a full list of players who took the field in first-class rugby in this country last year.
The players of the year are Breyton Paulse, Rassie Erasmus, Thinus Delport, Corne Krige and Ken Tsimba, the last of whom may never be a Springbok, but will not be forgotten by posterity thanks to his inclusion here. Had the Zimbabwean flyhalf been available to the Boks, Mallett might still be in charge and the annual might have a brighter tone.