Zelda Venter and John Goliath
A relatively unknown political party doesn’t want the Springboks to compete in the World Cup this year – because the team is not transformed enough.
The little-known Agency for New Agenda, formerly South Africa First, will head to the high court in Pretoria on Wednesday for an urgent order seeking to prevent the South African national rugby team from participating in the tournament.
Esethu Hasane, spokesperson for the Department of Sport and Recreation, told Cape Times sister paper the Pretoria News that notice of the court action was given and it would be defending the matter.
The SA Rugby Union (Saru) also said it would not take the matter lying down and would oppose it in court.
The Boks will be seeking a record-setting third Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which kicks off in England on September 18. The Springboks play their first game against Japan on September 19.
Coach Heyneke Meyer announced his Bok squad for the World Cup on Friday evening, including nine players of colour. After the announcement, both Saru and Cosatu said they were satisfied that the squad met transformation requirements.
But the Agency for New Agenda wants Sport and Recreation Department officials, Saru and all the players selected by Meyer to surrender their passports and travel documents as these are “the properties of the government of the Republic of South Africa”.
It also wants an order for the authorities responsible for the ports of exit to bar the team from leaving South Africa.
The party will ask the court to order the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry, as a matter of urgency, into the lack of transformation in South African rugby.
Party leader Edward Mokhoa-natse said in papers filed in the court: “It will be an abdication of
duty to those citizens who have placed a premium on the values enshrined in our constitution, to continue to remain silent when our constitution is being undermined by those hell-bent on preserving white supremacy… to be allowed to continue to trample the human rights and dignity of the majority.
“(The minister) has failed in his duty to effect transformation… (Saru) has acted in the interest of a minority that continues to perpetuate practices that are based on racial discrimination.”
In addition to its court application, the party has also written to World Rugby (formerly the International Rugby Board) to suspend South Africa’s membership of the organisation and to bar the Springboks from participating in the World Cup.
Meanwhile, former Bok and Western Province captain scrumhalf Divan Serfontein is concerned that some of the key members of the Springbok squad would lack match sharpness at the World Cup, while his Saru counterpart Cassiem Jabaar says Meyer’s loyalty to some senior players may come back to haunt him.
Key players such as scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, No 8 Duane Vermeulen and prop Coenie Oosthuizen didn’t play a single minute in the Rugby Championship or the one-off Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires. “When you have had an injury, you sometimes doubt yourself and you ask yourself before taking a hit or making a tackle, ‘Am I ready?’ I think that is the biggest factor,” the former WP and Bok halfback said.
Serfontein said he wasn’t sure if this Bok squad had enough firepower to bring back the title.
“We all knew Heyneke Meyer was going to pick that team because he picks a team that plays according to his style of play. We can only hope that his style is good enough, but I’m not too sure.”
“I think the other teams would like to face us because Heyneke can only play one way.”
Jabaar agreed and questioned the inclusion of a player such as Du Preez, who has the pedigree but hasn’t played Test rugby this year.
But the former Saru captain is happy that Bulls star Rudy Paige made the final 31-man squad.
“Fourie du Preez, why bring him back,” Jabaar asked. “I’m glad Rudy Paige is getting an opportunity, but he is good enough.”