Is this old news ?

I hear the Boks are introducing a quota system from next year.

Should'nt just be the best of the best?

Wheres Bweeno? I'm sure he'll have a good take on this

old news, read further down. 

 

 

Steinlager It is old news and in a way misleading. There always has been an informal quota system in top SA teams with an understanding of having 4 "Black" players in the teams on test, Super 15 and CC level. Never formal - since it is based on racial issues that can be taken to court as representing racial discrimination. Despite being said by politicos and even senior SARU representatives - there is no written rule about it. What has happened now is that on club and Vodacom cup level this informal number of players in teams have been increased. Nothing was said about higher level teams. I have no argument on the racial issue - mine is based on the problems of a social environment nature in communities and especially schools in SA. The top rugby players come from a very limited number of top schools - where parent and community support is very strong. In the remainder of the government schools in SA there is virtually no sports culture and a virtually non-existent interest of teacher coaches at all. Sport is an extra-curricular activity and teachers are just not interested. The latter scenario impact is evident in all codes of sport. Most support from the Black community is for soccer - yet the SA Soccer team is poor and soccer administration in a constant state of crisis. Like in rugby - cricket players and swimmers are supplied by the same few schools supporting rugby in SA. Unless the environment in communities and in schools change drastically - no amount of playing around with figures will strengthen the sport culture in SA. The Government and teaching fraternity as well as the parents should play a major role - but they don't. That - and not racial issues is why sport growth in general is very low in SA.

Spooony Sorry - I never intended to seems to be racist - all I intended was to indicate is the social environment and school situation ay mist Government schools - where there is with rare exceptions no effort being made to promote sport as a future career possibility. I am placing greater emphasis on what Government should do to get sport given a higher priority in the educational environment - especially as it is found in countries like China, Russia and even the USA. The best model is in fact the Chinese model. Diets of children for instance plays a major role. This is a problem affecting all races - also the Whites wher junk food is even a higher problem than in other races. In essence the problem remains - namely that the top sportspeople in SA comes from a limited number of schools - for the rest there is very little being produced and it is reflected in all codes of sport, The really bad situation is in soccer - a sort much more popular with the majority of people in SA - but really in a parlous state in the sport environment in Africa and in the world as a whole. Once their is a suitable environment for sport development on a wide basis than at present - the issue of so-called quotas could mean the weakening of teams on both international and local levels. That is not the way the problem should be solved - there is a much bigger challenge to be dealt with than what is being preached at present. .