50% black Boks by 2019

Cape Town - SARU have devised a transformation strategy which will see half the Springbok team represented by players of colour by 2019.

According to Rapport's website, the Transformation Strategic Plan aims to bring all of South Africa's representative rugby teams, along with domestic teams in line with national targets in five years.

Furthermore, the introduction of quotas at amateur level and schoolboy rugby will also aim to provide a more diverse talent pool from which unions can choose from.

Earlier this year, sport minister Fikile Mbalula lashed out at the sporting bodies of athletics, cricket, football, netball and rugby, saying that they are falling behind with transformation and development.

Of the Springbok team currently competing in the Rugby Championship, 19% of the players are non-white, while only 12% are black African. Zimbabwean-born prop Tendai Mtawarira was the only black African player to start in the defeat to Australia in Perth, with Trevor Nyakane warming the bench.

SARU have also set a mandate for Heyneke Meyer to select at least five black players to his squad for the 2015 RWC in England as well as include seven players of colour in his match-day squad in the lead up to the tournament.

The transformation strategy will also aim to have 30% of national coaches required to be of colour, with at least a third of that number being black.

SARU cited that provinces have failed to embrace transformation because of the lack of development structures needed to identify developing talent for players of colour and that the Transformation Strategic Plan will be monitored annually.