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Gary Boshoff
On Sunday I spent a few moments paging through my rugby albums in search of photos of former SARU player Yaghya Sakier who sadly passed away on Sunday.
I got an SMS from Shaun Johannes (Falcons Rugby Union) who grew close to Yaghya over the last few years, especially since Yaghya’s involvement with the Union, where he first served as assistant coach to Rudi Joubert a few years ago and later, briefly as head coach (2009).
Upon reading the SMS I got a sense of disillusionment about the vision Yaghya and many of us (from the former non-racial SARU fold – pre-1991) had for rugby in this country. That was when we were still dreaming of the day sport in this country would be unified under one banner. I felt that way because Yaghya dedicated his life to rugby and he fought relentlessly for a better dispensation for the underprivileged rugby communities. I got to know him much better in later years (after he stopped playing), mostly through our mutual friend, Makaya Jack (former SARU and KWARU flank).
During our playing years when we played against and with each other, we hardly spoke. However, as I came to know him better in the post-unity years I discovered a man passionate about advancing the cause of genuine transformation in rugby and wanting to be the best he can be as a coach.
He left his beloved Cape Town to play for Jaguars RFC (Durban) in the years immediately after rugby unity was achieved (1992-1995). After retiring from active playing duties he enthusiastically took up coaching as his next project and excelled to such an extent that he landed a contract with the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union where he coached the union’s team that participated in the then Presidents Competition (ironically competing for the SA Cup, the provincial trophy from the former SARU’s national interprovincial competition). He stayed with the KZNRU until 2003 after which he became head coach of Raiders RFC (Johannesburg) and technical advisor to the Golden Lions RU.
Yaghya was passionate about the future of rugby, particularly about how the game should be developed through talent identification and genuine transformational game development strategies. He served on various national and regional committees and concerned groups that shared his ideas and he was part of many delegations that met with SA Rugby representatives to discuss the future trajectory of the game and how it should be managed to ensure equal opportunity for especially black, underprivileged rugby players.
While pursuing these noble objectives he sometimes enraged rugby administrators for the stance he took and at some point alleged that his dismissal as head coach of the Falcons was motivated by racism and an unwillingness to accept change: this gallant activist stance gave the progressive forces at the union the opportunity to facilitate fundamental change at the union.
As a player Yaghya was some kind of a legend in his own right in that he was not your usual “big, tough and robust” forward for which the former Green Point-based WP Union was renowned for in those days. In fact, he was considered to be small for a No 8, around 1.86m. Nevertheless, what he lacked in weight and height he made up for in skills (passing, kicking, and running), spacial awareness and a special rugby nous. He gained more than 100 caps for the Western Province Union and was voted SARU Player of the Year in 1988 - a special achievement indeed. I had the honour of sharing the SARU jersey with him and recall the way he communicated with his scrumhalf and his quick thinking and decision-making with ball-in-hand, as being some of his premium qualities.
I have to say that although the times I played against him (WP Union) don't hold any fond memories for me personally (mostly because of the extreme robustness and violence that accompanied the matches between Tygerberg RFU and WP Rugby Union), Yaghya was never, not once, one of the perpetrators of this. In fact, he was one of a few that deserved respect for the way they played the game and advanced the cause of non-racialism during the isolation years.
Yaghya fought relentlessly for the advancement of black rugby in this country. He lived for the game and I’m sure part of him died because of the elusiveness of the vision he had of post-Apartheid rugby.
Rest in Peace Friend of Rugby! Asalaam Alaikum.
Gary Boshoff is a former SARU player and current Afrikaans rugby commentator on SuperSport.
Disclaimer: Sport24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Sport24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sport24.
On Sunday I spent a few moments paging through my rugby albums in search of photos of former SARU player Yaghya Sakier who sadly passed away on Sunday.
I got an SMS from Shaun Johannes (Falcons Rugby Union) who grew close to Yaghya over the last few years, especially since Yaghya’s involvement with the Union, where he first served as assistant coach to Rudi Joubert a few years ago and later, briefly as head coach (2009).
Upon reading the SMS I got a sense of disillusionment about the vision Yaghya and many of us (from the former non-racial SARU fold – pre-1991) had for rugby in this country. That was when we were still dreaming of the day sport in this country would be unified under one banner. I felt that way because Yaghya dedicated his life to rugby and he fought relentlessly for a better dispensation for the underprivileged rugby communities. I got to know him much better in later years (after he stopped playing), mostly through our mutual friend, Makaya Jack (former SARU and KWARU flank).
During our playing years when we played against and with each other, we hardly spoke. However, as I came to know him better in the post-unity years I discovered a man passionate about advancing the cause of genuine transformation in rugby and wanting to be the best he can be as a coach.
He left his beloved Cape Town to play for Jaguars RFC (Durban) in the years immediately after rugby unity was achieved (1992-1995). After retiring from active playing duties he enthusiastically took up coaching as his next project and excelled to such an extent that he landed a contract with the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union where he coached the union’s team that participated in the then Presidents Competition (ironically competing for the SA Cup, the provincial trophy from the former SARU’s national interprovincial competition). He stayed with the KZNRU until 2003 after which he became head coach of Raiders RFC (Johannesburg) and technical advisor to the Golden Lions RU.
Yaghya was passionate about the future of rugby, particularly about how the game should be developed through talent identification and genuine transformational game development strategies. He served on various national and regional committees and concerned groups that shared his ideas and he was part of many delegations that met with SA Rugby representatives to discuss the future trajectory of the game and how it should be managed to ensure equal opportunity for especially black, underprivileged rugby players.
While pursuing these noble objectives he sometimes enraged rugby administrators for the stance he took and at some point alleged that his dismissal as head coach of the Falcons was motivated by racism and an unwillingness to accept change: this gallant activist stance gave the progressive forces at the union the opportunity to facilitate fundamental change at the union.
As a player Yaghya was some kind of a legend in his own right in that he was not your usual “big, tough and robust” forward for which the former Green Point-based WP Union was renowned for in those days. In fact, he was considered to be small for a No 8, around 1.86m. Nevertheless, what he lacked in weight and height he made up for in skills (passing, kicking, and running), spacial awareness and a special rugby nous. He gained more than 100 caps for the Western Province Union and was voted SARU Player of the Year in 1988 - a special achievement indeed. I had the honour of sharing the SARU jersey with him and recall the way he communicated with his scrumhalf and his quick thinking and decision-making with ball-in-hand, as being some of his premium qualities.
I have to say that although the times I played against him (WP Union) don't hold any fond memories for me personally (mostly because of the extreme robustness and violence that accompanied the matches between Tygerberg RFU and WP Rugby Union), Yaghya was never, not once, one of the perpetrators of this. In fact, he was one of a few that deserved respect for the way they played the game and advanced the cause of non-racialism during the isolation years.
Yaghya fought relentlessly for the advancement of black rugby in this country. He lived for the game and I’m sure part of him died because of the elusiveness of the vision he had of post-Apartheid rugby.
Rest in Peace Friend of Rugby! Asalaam Alaikum.
Gary Boshoff is a former SARU player and current Afrikaans rugby commentator on SuperSport.
Disclaimer: Sport24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Sport24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sport24.
