Former president Nelson Mandela phoned to Australia on Friday to congratulate embattled SA rugby president Silas Nkanunu on his election in Sydney this week to the prestigious vice-chairmanship of the International Rugby Board.
Mandela’s call came as South African businessman Brian van Rooyen campaigned to unseat Nkanunu at next month’s critical board meeting in Cape Town, where the Springboks’ disastrous showing in the rugby World Cup will top the agenda.
Confirming reports that Mandela had made the call to Nkanunu, his spokesperson Zelda le Grange emphasised however that the former president specifically did not want to be seen to be interfering in rugby politics or taking sides.
Mandela instead saw the election as an important positive milestone in South African rugby’s development and stature internationally.
”He does not want to interfere with the process or support one party or the other,” she said.
Van Rooyen, a Golden Lions rugby administrator who lost a power struggle some years back to former rugby supremo Louis Luyt, claimed two days before Nkanunu’s IRB triumph on Wednesday that he had the support of at least seven of the 14 rugby unions making up the SA Rugby Football Union (Sarfu).
Observers maintain that if Van Rooyen was victorious at the December 5 meeting, and then also carried out his promised clean-sweep of the sport’s administration, Nkanunu’s eligibility to retain the IRB vice-chairmanship would fall away.
Sarfu deputy-president Ronnie Masson earlier this week described Nkanunu’s appointment as a significant honour for South African rugby as well as rugby on the African continent.
”For a number of years now (he) has played an active role in the administration of rugby at various levels … championed the cause of African rugby at the highest levels … played a key role within Sanzar (overseeing the Tri-nations and Super 12 tournaments) and made a valuable contribution to the IRB’s efforts to further expand the game globally,” he said.
Nkanunu’s spokesperson in Sydney, Ann-lee Murray, was not immediately available for comment. – Sapa