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Cape Town - SA Rugby president Mark Alexander says Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has done a good job as far as transformation is concerned in his first year at the helm.
Erasmus’ mandate is to field a Springbok team made up of 50% players of colour at next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.
The target for Tests in 2018 is 45% players of colour and thus far the Boks have averaged 42% after 10 Tests under Erasmus.
Alexander was addressing reporters at the launch of the Black Rugby History A to Z digital exhibit at the Springbok Experience rugby museum in Cape Town on Thursday.
He said the transformation statistics could have been even higher had it not been for injuries to key black players.
“We always get blamed for not doing enough, but we will get there. Rassie has done a great job as far as transformation is concerned, and I think we’ve seen the most (black) players ever in the Springbok team, and we also have a black captain (in Siya Kolisi),” Alexander said, as quoted by SA Rugbymag.
“This is long overdue, and it (the number target) is something that must not come from transformation, but naturally. These players are good enough to be there, those that we’ve seen in the team, they are not quotas, they are there because they deserve to be there, they are quality players. Nobody can name one of the (black) players who have played for the Boks this year and say that they are there because they are quotas.”
