The Springboks were accused on Thursday of blowing the chance of spreading rugby among South Africa’s black population by scrapping plans to include the biggest township on a World Cup victory parade.
SA Rugby, already under fire over the lack of black players in the Springbok team, said it had had to strike Soweto off its list of venues because of time constraints, although the team is still scheduled to tour all the major cities.
”Unfortunately, while that was the initial plan, the parade does not include Soweto,” SA Rugby media manager Rayaan Adriaanse told Agence France-Presse.
”It’s simply a matter of logistics and time constraints. We would have liked to go to possibly the entire country but with logistics it’s just not possible.”
The win over England in Saturday’s final has renewed debate about the racial make-up of the Boks, who included only two players of colour in their starting line-up and the Soweto visit was seen as a significant public relations gesture.
Dali Ndebele, director of the Soweto Rugby Club, said the Springboks had ”missed an opportunity” to promote the game and boost the morale of young black players who had been ecstatic at the team’s achievement in France.
”Young kids who play rugby, and even those who don’t, were very much looking forward to welcoming and seeing the Springboks in Soweto,” Ndebele said.
”Already we had made plans about how we were going to welcome them. Our sponsors had banners ready, songs were composed.
”It’s a big disappointment to us, sponsors, the kids, and the community who rallied behind the team. It’s a missed opportunity to celebrate with the real masses.”
After arriving back home on Tuesday, coach Jake White said the Springboks must learn from the ”mistakes” that followed the first World Cup triumph in 1995, which they failed to use as a springboard to make the team more representative of the country’s racial mix.
Tsietsi Louw, a lawmaker for the ruling African National Congress, said the decision to drop Soweto from the victory parade typified the ”arrogance” of the rugby authorities after black supporters had got behind the team.
”During the finals, the fan parks were filled with black people. Township shebeens ran out of drinks with black people supporting their team,” he told AFP.
”One would have hoped that with all transformation talk going on, at least the trophy would be taken to the townships for black fans to also join in celebrations.
”It is inexcusable for them to snub them like that … These are the people and children who regard those players as their heroes, irrespective of their colour.”
Chichi Maponya, a businesswoman who sponsored a rugby theme park during the tournament, said it was ”sad and unfortunate” that Soweto was being overlooked.
”Everybody was looking forward to welcoming them. My tenants [at a new shopping mall], and school kids nearby were planning to throw them a huge welcome party.
”We just hope and wish they will learn from their previous mistakes and not lock a black child out of the development of the sport.”
While interest in rugby has traditionally been confined to the white minority, the Springbok win was hailed as a chance to broaden its popularity.
Ndebele, whose club was only established in 1998, said: ”We are trying to promote the game but they [rugby authorities] don’t want to come to the party.”
”If they were serious about transforming the game and encouraging black South Africans to play, they would have thought of starting the parade in a township like Alexandra [north of Johannesburg] and Soweto.
”These are the communities and their kids who never get a chance to see these people play because they cannot afford the tickets to the games. It was a lifetime opportunity for them.” — AFP
