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SARU to get quota clarity

Cape Town - The SA Rugby Union (SARU) will meet with sports minister Fikile Mbalula to get more clarity on the government's new transformation policy.

Mbalula recently threatened to withdraw national teams from competing internationally when he said athletics, cricket, football, netball and rugby are falling behind with transformation and development.

He wants to see 60% black representation in teams and warned of harsh punishment if there was any form of resistance to these measures.

If any resistance was met, Mbalula said, government could withdraw funding to bodies that fail to comply, withdraw national colours to federations holding back, rule that utilising bidding and hosting regulations to be illegal, de-register any body which fails to transform and bar sponsorship to anyone hostile to transformation.

However, several sporting codes - including rugby - were unsure as to what Mbalula meant when he said the requirement would come into effect "immediately".

According to the Rugby365 website, SARU hopes to get more clarity on the subject at a "report back meeting" on Monday - where the minister and the Eminent Persons Group, who has monitored national federations, will be present.

Among the questions raised were whether the minister was insisting on 13 black players in Super Rugby squads with immediate affect and the Springboks from June.

Mbalula said the resolutions of the recent meeting had to be implemented before the new government administration took office after the May 7 general elections.

This could see the government preventing the Springboks from taking to the field against a World XV and Wales in June if there are not 13 black/non-white players in the squad.

Hopefully Monday's meeting will shed more light on when the minister expects these drastic changes to take place...

HAVE YOUR SAY: Will the 'quota' issue in SA sport ever be resolved? Is there any point in even trying to do so? Send your thoughts to Sport24.
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