A darker shade of blue

The extraordinary attack recently by Gary Boshoff, CEO of the Blue Bulls, on his own union over transformation provided an insight into the almost insurmountable complexities that exist in rugby.

Under the headline “Five black wings and Bryan” Boshoff, writing in his column on the News24 website, was patently critical of the composition of the Bulls’ Super 12 squad, stating that “while the thirty man squad of the Bulls might reflect an improvement in black representation, it hasn't moved one inch forward in terms of genuine transformation.”

Needless to say Boshoff’s views caused some severely ruffled feathers at the Bulls where he was accused of skewed logic and of absurdly failing to recognize his own culpability in the success, or lack, of transformation given his position as CEO of the Blue Bulls union – the body charged with running all aspects of “amateur” rugby in the old Northern Transvaal.

Boshoff certainly did not hold back in registering his disapproval, saying: “After the recent clamour over the Springbok squad that toured Great Britain and Ireland, the composition of the four Super 12 squads somewhat dampened my expectations for the season at hand.

“The inclusion of 32 black players in the squads, I have to admit, does indeed show a significant improvement on last year. However, for this ‘improved number’" to mean anything in terms of the transformational undertaking given by SA Rugby, it needs to be translated into actual game time for these players.

“If not, the Super 12 franchises, as well as SA Rugby for that matter, could once again be accused of window-dressing.

“Take for example the case of Jongikhaya Nokwe on last year's Home Unions tour - while the good intention of SA Rugby was to give him exposure in the Springbok camp and gain much needed experience, he does not count among the lucky few that received a Super 12 contract!

“What to do with all that exposure and experience now, I ask. Making the starting line-up of a South African Super 12 team is already a challenge for the few black players that do make the squads, but in some cases, having to compete with four or five fellow-black players for one or two positions, makes the composition of some of these squads laughable,” wrote Boshoff.

The CEO is a former player and stalwart of the former Saru (the rugby body affiliated to the anti-apartheid Sacos that melded with the Sarb to form Sarfu in 1992 and by which acronym the governing body has subtly again become known) who described himself as the “comrade who joined the establishment” when he became the Blue Bulls’ CEO in 1999.

Against a backdrop of the Blue Bulls’ success over the last three years, Boshoff’s remarks were not only jarring but also pointed to a festering resentment that exists among people of colour involved in rugby.

The question has to be asked: Is he a loose cannon who failed to understand the implications or impact of his written words or should his views be heeded?

Addressing the Super 12 he went on to say: “Across the four squads there are 14 black players that either play wing or have played wing for their respective provinces in the recent past. The Blue Bulls, Currie Cup champions for the past three years, have been allowed to include five black wings in their 30-man squad.

“Just when and for how long they will play during the Super 12 is not clear to me, especially since Pierre Spies (not in the original squad), SA U/19 eightman/wing is looking to make his debut for the Bulls on the wing.

“Another black wing also in the running is Trompie Nontshinga, drafted in from the Cheetahs - why draft another black wing when there are five in the original 30-man squad already?

“The inexperienced Heini Adams (a scrumhalf) will hardly get any game time ahead of Fourie du Preez, while Tim Dlulane will have to wish for an injury or two for him to get a look in.

"That only leaves Bryan Habana at outside-centre. On present form he should easily make the starting line-up, but hey, stranger things have happened.

“Presuming Habana remains injury-free and is selected in his preferred position, Heyneke Meyer will be left with the enviable "luxury" of five black wings to choose from for the one vacant wing position!

“So, while the thirty man squad of the Bulls might reflect an improvement in black representation, it hasn't moved one inch forward in terms of genuine transformation. "It's now much clearer to me why it has been "impossible" to find a Super 12 spot for Nokwe - there simply isn't any more space left for black wings! This of course begs the question why was he included in Springbok touring squad in the first place?

“If we agree that the Super 12 should be the breeding ground of future Springboks, particularly with the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups in mind, then the composition of the present squads does not augur well for the genuine transformation of the Springbok squad in the near future!

“No matter how many times we profess our commitment to transformation, the proof still lies in the pudding!”

The exclamation marks are Boshoff’s. The unnamed black wings he was referring to are, presumably, Gavin Passens, Akona Ndungane, Ricardo Loubscher (sometimes a fullback), Danwel Demas, John Mametsa plus the belatedly added Trompie Nontshinga, while he does not seem to have considered the possibility that the non-inclusion of Jongi Nokwe (whose inclusion in last year’s touring team smacked of crass old-style window-dressing) could be informed by the realisation that he is simply not ready for this level of competition?

Boshoff’s views were particularly galling in Blue Bulls circles because administrators of this undeniably Afrikaner bastion are unmistakably proud of their transformation achievements.

At the launch of the Blue Bulls’ multi-million Rand sponsorship from Vodacom (a function not attended by Gary Boshoff) Blue Bulls president Dolf van Huyssteen said: “We are committed anew to tackle development in our province on a grand scale so as to uncover all the possible talent. Young black talent will be identified early and these talented players will be placed on a fast track opportunity programme to a career in professional rugby.

“Contrary to recent individual opinions and reports, the Bulls and the Blue Bulls already have established a strong foundation from which to further our transformation efforts. The nine players of colour contracted to the senior side represent 20% of our senior recruits. Among the juniors the figure is even higher where 40% of the contracted youngsters represent previously disadvantage individuals.

“In the recently announced SA under-21 training squad the Bulls provided by far the most players, namely 19, of which five are players of colour. Of the five players from the Blue Bulls selected in the SA under 19 team, three players are black. In addition, 15 players of colour from our contracted group have been included to form part of our Vodacom Cup training squad.

Van Huyssteen predicted that these numbers would grow prodigiously in future in a union whose professionalism and training structures are widely admired – in fact these were the reasons given by two of the country’s most outstanding players of colour, Habana and Gurthro Steenkamp, for having moved to the Bulls.

As one of the Bulls coaches remarked: “Bring us the black props and locks who can cope at this level (Super 12) and we will pick them. We dream of the day we unearth a black Naas Botha in Pretoria.”

That is why it is so worrying that a senior official of the Blue Bulls union does not share this optimism and buoyancy, and begs the question whether South African rugby will ever be able to appease the twin needs to perform and also transform.