Perceptions of racism and the slow transformation in rugby were discussed at a sitting of Parliament’s sport portfolio committee on Monday.
Briefing committee members, SA Rugby acknowledged that problems remained, but asked for recognition of what had been achieved.
”Let us, yes, criticise, but also give credit where it is due,” the rugby body’s president, Oregan Hoskins, said.
”Some of the criticism is justified, but what we are saying is … encourage us as well.”
Some committee members suggested transformation was taking too long, and asked why some provincial teams to this day field no more than two black players.
Lions president Jannie Ferreira responded that transformation was too often seen as an event rather than a process. This placed the focus on player quotas, and what he termed the ”two-black-wings syndrome” — where black players were put into these positions ”where the perception is they can do the least damage”.
Transformation should rather be seen as a process in which love for the game is instilled at community level and skills imparted from school-going age.
Also, the government needed to invest in facilities to get children to play the game, said Ferreira.
”We need to develop these kids,” he told the committee. ”We cannot just pull them out of thin air.” — Sapa