I never personally criticize people or their culture - since that would be very wrong. Every country in the World have some things they are proud about and that should be appreciated by all people in the World. I want to quote two examples I was involved with personally and that showed something about this country not always appreciated by people.
About a decade afo I went to the Groot Constantia Homestead and there saw a group of Australian Tourists. They were amazed about paintings dating back to the 15th century and the really exceptional antique Japanes porcelainn and other antiwues on display and asked how come that type of thing is found in Cape Town. They never realized that by the time the first people orifinating from Europe first settled in Australia and - for that matter New Zealand - Cape Town was already a major trade port and an important center in itself. May people settling in the Cape brought antques with them and estbalished a culture that transcended local insulance and assured a much wider appreciation of the rest of the world.
The other incident I wish to mention is that I attended and in facr delivered a paper at a meeting on water provision. At the meeting one local pperson said that they appreciate the professional and technical guidance that could be provided by England. The respobse was that they actually get their advice from South African Engineers - who are leaders in the field of civicl engineering and that there is nothing they can teach South Africans in the relevant field.
It is no wonder that with the broader outlook on life and the expertise in professional fields - medical, economics, engineering, etc.- you find South Africans working all over the world and making a substantial contribution in the countries where they work. That does not mean they lose interest in their country of origin. I am therefore not surprised that for instance so many South Africans living overseas retain their support of the Springboks. To think that because they left South Africa to settle in for instance New Zealand or Australia and suddebly found that their country of residence becomes the alpha and omega insofar as sport teams are concerned - is not realistic.
The latter assumption shows a lack of understanding of the world at large and of insular thinking. It does not appreciate that the world has changed and the outlook of educated people have become more global than many people living in relative isolation imagine.
It is one thing to criticize the Springbok rugby team on performance basis - the fiercest critics are in any event local people - it is quite another thing to criticize a country that relatively few people know anything about or maybe knows something which they read in the media.
Under the circumstances I would like to call on people not to criticize and generalize on countries or their people. Lets keep criticism to performance of and issues relating to rugby - to be civil and factual in dealing with issues related to rugby - and to do the same when it comes to rugby as a game.
