Boks (And *Our*) Last Stand?

The good news is we've just won the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The bad news is, things may never be this good again. Seriously, the quota system, and political pressures are a reality tearing away at what could be a future filled with world class performances in South African sport.

Grabfest

The meddling and fighting for spoils ends up looting the sport, which results in diluting the clarity of purpose of coaches and athletes alike. Imagine what it does to the motivation and energy of a coach who has to abandon his team - as White did in the Tour of England - to face 'charges' from the union that appointed him to his position in the first place?

Grubbing

Unfortunately, this spiteful grubbing for scraps at the expense of the sportspeople involved is not only true in rugby. And it represents the insidious spread of an attitude that is not about sportsmanship. It's a more criminal motivation; a greed for personal recognition, personal power, and the scoring of ego points. Unfortunately there is an incidental awareness of the effort, the work, the personal integration into sport - you know, the blood, sweat and tears - from the sports officials. What it boils down to is the watering down of effort through counterproductive tinkering from people who are not, and were never practitioners, liivng the sport themselves. This ought to be a litmus test used to root out all the sports heretics infesting these sports bodies.

Example

You represent Cycling in South Africa? Yes, I'm the president. Really; did you ever cycle yourself? No. And you're telling these riders they can't ride because of these rules you've invented? Yes. Get out.

And on and on through the various sports councils - Swimming, Hockey and all the rest. Get of rid of people who speak for the sport yet never practised the sport.

Consistency

Australia doesn't have to run through a political (and politically correct) checklist before they select teams, or do a Restrospective Review Checklist whenever they feel like it. This is why countries like Australia can be so consistent. There aren't officials pursuing a double agenda.

For more on this, click here for Clinton van den Berg's article.

Here's a quote:

Already this Springbok squad stands to be torn apart. Os du Randt is looking forward to life among the tractors and cattle on his farm; John Smit, Percy Montgomery, Ashwin Willemse and Victor Matfield are bidding adieu and heading for France; and Gary Botha and Butch James are decamping to the UK. Certainly, there are at least 30 other first-class players heading for the UK, France and Italy, where the money is better and life less stressful.

There will be others, too, gatvol of having to feel guilty about selection, about the threat to the Springbok emblem and the endless political ping- pong they’re subjected to.

That being the case, the Boks won’t win another World Cup for 25 years. If they do before then, I’ll happily eat this column. I’ll happily bet anyone that the new man won’t see out his full term to the next World Cup either. Not only will White’s successor have to be a rugby genius, he’ll need rhinoceros skin to withstand the pounding.

Sadly, I believe what is happening in rugby is a symptom of what is going to happen generally in this country if (and notice it's a BIG 'if')things don't take a drastic turn soon. Australia, once again, is an example of how South Africa ends happily ever after. Zimbabwe is the other extreme. It doesn't take a genius to see which way the momentum is taking us right now. It's a scary thought, but it's also reality. And for a while, things were looking damn positive. CYRIL FOR PRESIDENT!