The Springboks and politics

So, the Springboks have won the opening game of their 2012 European tour against Ireland. It was not the most exciting rugby to watch, especially not the first half of the game. After 40 minutes, Ireland looked very well on their way to beating the Boks as wing JP Petersen was yellow carded 8 minutes from the break. But a much more spirited performance in the second half of the match secured the victory for the South Africans, with a try coming from scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar.

Rugby can be fun in South Africa, seeing that the national side is one of the strongest sides in the world. As a result of their success (the Springboks have won the IRB Rugby World Cup twice, 1995, 2007), the Springboks have played a very important role in South Africa, often uniting the country's very diverse people. But their success has come at a price. The Springboks, unlike many of the other national sports codes of South Africa, is often under attack from politicians, blaming the sport for being 'too white'.

The latest attack was recently lodged at the Springboks by the very prominent African National Congress (ANC) leader Gwede Mantashe, who is the secretary general of the ANC.

Earlier this year, Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer also came under attack from former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers for the very same reasons.

But Peter de Villiers, while he was the Springbok coach, also selected very few players of colour. This has obviously left Meyer with a legacy that de Villiers had played no small part in maintaining.

Adding to this confusing mix, the 'Lions' franchise has been dropped from the 2013 Super 15 competition, in favour of the 'E.P. Kings'. The whole idea behind the E.P. Kings is to promote rugby amongst players of colour in the Eastern Cape province. It was expected that this side would be one where many players of colour would get an opportunity. Yet, when the side recently played a promotion/relegation match against the Cheetahs, there were very few players of colour on the field. In fact, the franchise seems keen on attracting white players from overseas to strengthen the side for the 2013 Super 15 competition.

Of all the sports codes in South Africa, it is only the rugby sides that is often in the line of fire because of it's racial composition. During Peter de Villiers's tenure as coach of the Springboks, he was never criticised for not selecting more players of colour. This despite the fact that de Villiers himself did not transform rugby with his selections. Why this is so is truly perplexing.

It is a pity that it is only the rugby sides that is expected to reflect the racial demographics of the country. No other sport in South Africa is treated this way. Football sides in the country is not subject to these demands, and often only represents one population group. And the truth is that football should never be subjected to these demands, because demographical representation is an illogical system. But what should count for one sport code with regards to it's composition, should count for all.

It is discouraging to watch sports when the politics is spoiling everything.