South African Rugby officials moved quickly on Wednesday to try and quell another quota crisis as the South Africa under-21 team was announced for the IRB World Cup.
But it wasn't a black-white issue that threatened to disrupt the South African Rugby set-up.
The team announcement was apparently held back because there were "too few black Africans in the team".
The ruckus started when SABC Radio News reported that the naming of the side had been held back after "intervention" of a senior rugby official which was confirmed by staff of the national body, who said the announcement was supposed to have been made on Tuesday, but was held back because of a "problem".
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It emerged that the national selection panel had complied with the quota requirements of the side, but that the squad contained too few black African players and thus there was, according to one staff member, an objection from South African Rugby's transformation head Mike Stofile which stopped the team from being announced.
Stofile, it is alleged, wanted more black African representation in addition to the seven coloured players in the squad. Eventually, a day late, the squad was announced and three African players were included for the tournament in Scotland from June 11 to 27.
The national body was incensed by reports of a race rift. Sarfu president Brian van Rooyen slated "those who want to create division in our rugby".
"I was on the phone and was read the side and there were no objections in the way that it was given to me," Van Rooyen said on Wednesday.
"There were no objections from the transformation committee and no pressure was put on anybody. This is nonsense and if we look at those sorts of issues, that is the core of racism. Just now we will have to say how many Muslims, Afrikaners and Zulus there are in the team."
While Bok coach Jake White ignored Luke Watson during his tenure as under-21 coach, new man Pieter de Villiers has made the Sharks youngster captain of the side. Bulls and Springbok flyhalf Derick Hougaard is there, as is Sevens Bok Earl Rose while Super 12 representatives who have been selected include Bulls fullback Hennie Daniller, Cats scrumhalf Paul Delport and Bulls centre Wynand Olivier.
The full squad in alphabetical order: Andries Bekker (WP), Simon Blakely (WP), Ashton Constand (WP), Hennie Daniller (Blue Bulls), Marius Delport (Blue Bulls), Paul Delport (WP), Schalk Ferreira (WP), Adriaan Fondse (Blue Bulls), Brian Habana (Golden Lions), Derick Hougaard (Blue Bulls), Derick Kuun (Blue Bulls), Justin Melck (WP), Petros Methula (KZN), Cliff Milton (Blue Bulls), Wouter Moore (KZN), Sangoni Mxoli (KZN), Trompie Nontshinga (Free State), Luvo Shogidashe (Blue Bulls), Wynand Olivier (Blue Bulls), Ruan Pienaar (Free State), Jeremy Plaatjies (SWD), Franco van der Merwe (Leopards), Pellow van der Westhuizen (Leopards), Earl Rose (WP), Luke Watson (KZN, capt.), Andries Strauss (Free State).
- This article was originally published on page 29 of Pretoria News on May 20, 2004
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