The King Commission of Inquiry into racism in Springbok and South African rugby — set to take place early next year — may include a probe into the recent shocking revelations surrounding Kamp Staaldraad (Camp Steel-Wire), the controversial training camp the Springboks attended before the Rugby World Cup.
The request to extend SA Rugby’s terms of reference of the King commission inquiry came from Minister of Sport and Recreation Ngconde Balfour on Wednesday.
Balfour, who met SA Rugby chairperson Silas Nkanunu, deputy chairperson Songezo Nayo and other SA Rugby officials in Cape Town on Wednesday, also expressed his disgust at the performance and lack of quota players in the team during the World Cup.
”I have deliberately refrained from commenting on the performance of the team during the World Cup. I have now informed the president that I am extremely unhappy with both the performance and the levels of representivity of the team in Australia,” Balfour said in a statement.
Balfour’s comments come ahead of Thursday’s urgent board meeting in Johannesburg to discuss the degrading military-style pre-World Cup camp.
Balfour said the militaristic techniques forced on the Springbok squad ahead of the World Cup cannot be condoned.
He has requested Nkanunu — who doubles as the South African Rugby Football Union president — to ask SA Rugby to supply answers at the urgent meeting in Johannesburg on Thursday morning.
”My call on Sarfu and SA Rugby to take the South African public into their confidence with regard to the so-called Kamp Staaldraad has been positively responded to,” Balfour said.
”I have expressed my total condemnation and disgust at elements of the camp. Whilst I accept and encourage the need for team building, there is no place for militaristic and dehumanising practices in our sport.
”To this effect, I have requested the president to consider extending the terms of reference of the King committee to include Kamp Staaldraad and other issues that might have arisen during the preparations of the team.
”In addition, I have asked him to look at the contract of the security company employed by SA Rugby.
”I expect Sarfu to come back and to present a plan of how both these issues will be addressed forthwith, leading up to 2007.
”I want to repeat what I said on the eve of the departure of the team for the World Cup — rugby will never be business as usual again.”
Meanwhile, Springbok captain Corne Krige was reported on Wednesday as saying players were taking legal advice over images of the boot camp.
Photographs taken from a ”home video” were printed on the front page of several newspapers in South Africa, causing an outcry and calls for the heads of the team management, including coach Rudolf Straeuli.
Straeuli will now appear before the board of SA Rugby on Thursday to answer questions regarding the three-day camp, which took place immediately following the announcement of the Springboks’ 30-man World Cup squad at the end of August.
”We are getting legal advice but it doesn’t mean that we will take legal steps. We want to keep our options open,” Krige told the Afrikaans daily Beeld.
M-Net screened the first live pictures of Kamp Staaldraad on Sunday night, showing the national squad crawling naked through the bush.
The pictures have also been broadcast internationally by Sky News television.
They show naked players carrying railway tracks and tractor tyres and standing in a freezing dam, with their hands covering their private parts.
Krige said he would also speak to an unnamed player, who has threatened to go court over the broadcast.
”It will be better for us to take legal steps as a team,” Krige said. ”We have a few options and will discuss them Friday when the [South African] player of the year is appointed.”
The Springboks were thrashed 29-9 by New Zealand in a World Cup quarterfinal clash after the South Africans lost a crucial pool game to England. — Sapa
Boks seek legal advice on nude pics