South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) president Brian van Rooyen — speaking at a Black Management Forum meeting in Sandown, Johannesburg, on Tuesday night — blasted the ”mentality” of rugby administrators in this country.
Van Rooyen also reiterated his earlier statements that Sarfu is in a shambles and needs a complete overhaul — a scenario that has already brought mixed response from critics.
”The current mentality is that having blacks in a side lowers the quality. We have fallen into the trap of allowing a coach to select his two quota players and then the rest of the team,” he said.
”We must change that mindset,” insisted Van Rooyen. ”Coaches need to realise that a black man can play flyhalf and be captain. If there are six black players good enough, play them. We are stuck just selecting the two at the moment.”
”The World Cup failure had nothing to do with blacks. The squad and management were all white. I’m pleased that that was the case,” he said, forgetting that Ashwin Willemse, Lawrence Sephaka, Breyton Paulse and Dale Santon were all part of the squad.
When Van Rooyen took over the presidency from Silas Nkanunu in December last year he announced in his manifesto his intention to do away with quotas within the game.
Van Rooyen said rugby, like other sports, is caught between the slow pace of transformation and the need to participate at the highest level.
”Each has its drawbacks. The trouble is while some are slow to embrace change, the implementation of the quota system implies that black players cannot make it on their own,” he said.
Van Rooyen added that blacks detest the quota system.
”Every player needs to know they can make a team on merit and that is why SA Rugby has decided to demolish the quota system.”
The rugby supremo was unable to confirm whether racism exists in South African rugby. He said the investigation into the Geo Cronje/Quinton Davids incident prior to last year’s Rugby World Cup had found no racist elements.
”Both denied any allegations of racism and SA Rugby cannot be expected to manufacture any evidence to the contrary,” he said.
Van Rooyen added that the Springbok emblem would not be abolished, just that the King Protea needed to be accommodated with it.
”The Springbok has the same value for Mannetjies Roux, Piet Visagie and Frik du Preez as it does for any former black great.” — Sapa