Saru’s academies to grow black talent pool

Published Nov 24, 2015

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To have a national rugby team that reflects the demographic diversity of the country and that is, at the same time, able to win the World Cup and regularly beat New Zealand is something we dream about from time to time.

Then we wake up and realise that after 21 years of democracy, and after millions have been spent on rugby development programmes, those who are running things still struggle to squeeze one or two players of colour into the Springbok squad and then the coach shows a clear reluctance to give those who are on the bench any significant game time.

Now the coach, especially the current one, is under no illusions that he will be judged by his transformation record and, on that basis alone I would be very surprised if he kept his job.

And, it appears, the Springboks' major sponsor has pulled out because of the tardy pace of transformation in the team – although the real reasons for their breaking the relationship has not been disclosed yet.

So you have to ask, as I have number of times this year, and every year before: why, if there is no shortage of good black players in our schools – and everyone agrees that our school rugby system is the best in the world – do we not have a regular stream of players of colour joining the senior ranks and why is the sum total of our black representation still two coloured wings and a Zimbabwean prop?

There are all sorts of answers to that question, and the one I think is the most important is that it is just more difficult for a talented black player to make the step up to professional rugby than it is for a white one.

Residual institutional racism, poverty, lack of family and community support, and an absence of the self-confidence that comes with following a traditional route to rugby greatness all play a part.

And, as a result, the pool of black players at a professional level is not big enough to bring about that tipping point beyond which selection becomes a merit-based activity, with racial representation a natural thing – just like in those dreams we've been having.

So, with this in mind the SA Rugby (Saru) event I attended this week could just be the most important one I've been to all year, and I really hope the businesses they are asking to help them come to the party.

It was the launch of the SA Rugby Educational Foundation, a Section 20 entity that will support the players who attend Saru's academies, and those run by the provincial unions and other organisations.

At issue is the need to advance talented young black players into the ranks of professional rugby but, at the same time, to make sure that they are prepared for a life after rugby, or outside of rugby should they be injured or drop out for other reasons.

Anything that makes going into the game at a more serious level more attractive to our top young players, and which ensures that those who do take the step are retained for long enough for them to reach their potential has to be a good idea.

At the moment Saru funds its own four academies, in SWD, Boland, Border and Eastern Province, and there are some 16 others around the country. The idea is to double the numbers involved - and to make sure that 75 percent of the players involved are black.

Once there they will be taught rugby skills, but they also enrol at a university, or a vocational training institute. They get top-class conditioning and nutritional support, as well as mentoring, and life skills education.

The cost per player according to Saru's manager of Academies, Hans Scriba, is R180 000 per year. So, it isn’t cheap, and if they want to scale it up Saru is going to need help.

That's why they are asking corporate South Africa to provide bursaries to cover the educational components - they will supply the rugby requirements.

I'm hoping it happens, that the talent pool of professional players begins to resemble, in demographics, the talent pool we already have at junior level, and that we all finally get to have a good night’s sleep.

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