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I am a black rugby player and an avid rugby supporter (who, by the way is University educated) I would firstly like to say that I do not, by any means, support having a quota system in our rugby system... or in any of our sports for that matter.
I know as a proud rugby player I would hate to be included in a team simply because of my skin colour while knowing I do not deserve to be there. But on the same token, I do believe that in the current system there is a large element of racial disparity among selections and not just speaking of the current springbok selection debates, but all along the age group structures and in our current provincial setups.
I mean when players who are clearly not deserving are picked because they are black it is a shame for that player and a travesty for equality in this country that has fought so hard to forge a place where all men are indeed seen as truly equal in all facets of society. However an equally shamefully travesty of justice is when a player who is dominating in his position, such as Juan De Jong, Lwazi Mvovo and Elton Jantjies(maybe to a lesser extent than the previous two) are over-looked for no other obvious reason that I can see, and then are replaced by their white counter-parts who are not performing even when given the countless more opportunities, starts to look to me and I think even to the most avid of individuals who claim that our current head coach does not have any racial preferences when selecting his team like something is amiss.
I mean one has to just look at the fast-tracking of Patrick Lambie because of a stellar performance in the curie cup (which I do concur was quite a performance), but the overlooking of an unlucky De Jong who had arguably the performance of his career. Such occurrences starts to make one wonder if then the white rugby players of this country have their own natural ‘quota’ system of having a white coach, a panel of white selectors who are selecting white players because they are white. I mean if that’s the case then I think all players of colour and even a few people, who will read this and be able disregard their natural instinct to defend their race and think about it objectively and impartially, will agree with me when I say that if you’re playing in a system where some people can be picked because of their skin colour than I wouldn’t mind being picked for mine.
I know as a proud rugby player I would hate to be included in a team simply because of my skin colour while knowing I do not deserve to be there. But on the same token, I do believe that in the current system there is a large element of racial disparity among selections and not just speaking of the current springbok selection debates, but all along the age group structures and in our current provincial setups.
I mean when players who are clearly not deserving are picked because they are black it is a shame for that player and a travesty for equality in this country that has fought so hard to forge a place where all men are indeed seen as truly equal in all facets of society. However an equally shamefully travesty of justice is when a player who is dominating in his position, such as Juan De Jong, Lwazi Mvovo and Elton Jantjies(maybe to a lesser extent than the previous two) are over-looked for no other obvious reason that I can see, and then are replaced by their white counter-parts who are not performing even when given the countless more opportunities, starts to look to me and I think even to the most avid of individuals who claim that our current head coach does not have any racial preferences when selecting his team like something is amiss.
I mean one has to just look at the fast-tracking of Patrick Lambie because of a stellar performance in the curie cup (which I do concur was quite a performance), but the overlooking of an unlucky De Jong who had arguably the performance of his career. Such occurrences starts to make one wonder if then the white rugby players of this country have their own natural ‘quota’ system of having a white coach, a panel of white selectors who are selecting white players because they are white. I mean if that’s the case then I think all players of colour and even a few people, who will read this and be able disregard their natural instinct to defend their race and think about it objectively and impartially, will agree with me when I say that if you’re playing in a system where some people can be picked because of their skin colour than I wouldn’t mind being picked for mine.
