'We are actually beyond that desired number' - Springboks quota system four years ahead of schedule
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has been lauded for his work overseeing the transformation on South African rugby and told there will be no added pressure on him when he selects his 31-man Rugby World Cup squad.
Erasmus serves not only as Bok coach, but also as director of rugby for all national teams and that position has assisted in bringing through players of colour in all age-groups, putting him four years ahead of schedule.
“Rassie knows what to do, it is not necessary for us to remind him of transformation,” said South African Rugby president Mark Alexander ahead of the squad naming on August 26.
“He is mature enough to fulfil his mandates and so far he has exceeded our expectations. So no, there won’t be any pressure on him.
“Our run-on XV will in most games have the desired number of black players. In fact, because our players come through naturally and based on merit, we are actually beyond that desired number.
“Our plan was for 2023, but at this stage, there are four black captains in our national teams.”
Erasmus has been set a target of 50 per cent black players in his match-day squads of 23 throughout 2019, though it is unclear what the consequences of missing this mark would be.
SA Rugby want to make the Boks more representative of the demographic of South Africa having come under pressure from government in a sport that was considered the symbol of whites during Apartheid.
Alexander also went on to praise Erasmus for his turnaround of the team, who won only 11 of 25 tests in the two years after the 2015 World Cup, but will go into the 2019 edition as Rugby Championship winners for the first time in a decade.
“Rassie started with a Bok team that wasn’t really established, but he changed the culture of the team,” Alexander said.
“Players play for the people and you can clearly see that they play for him. Rassie brought us back and the team is performing again, and the impact of that should not be underestimated.”
AAP
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Comments on RugbyPass
So sad, god rest him. Too young to be gone. RIP
2 Go to commentsRIP big man 🙏
2 Go to commentsThe GB coach. “Just because we don’t get together as much as other teams we don’t use that as an excuse for performances when we don’t hit the mark”. Why mention it at all then?
1 Go to commentsNo mention of the yellow card for Harlequins which really cost them.
3 Go to commentsThought you’d left us Nick. Good to have you back writing for us. So hunter ikitau works? I reckon wright kellaway as two of the back 3. Tim Ryan and Toole looking good for strike winger but I still want the power of korobeiti and figure our forwards still need him to help them out. Million dollar question is who plays 10? I’m thinking Noah for his kicking and combo with wright. Reckon the pair adds up to an attack and kellaway will help. Can you comment on Zac Lucas in Japan? How is he going?
1 Go to commentsMack Hansen, Ethan Roots, Taine Plumbtree, Louis Lynagh, Emmanuel Meafou? Which country do you want to pick your Barbarians from?
3 Go to commentsInstead of apologising, try to act like an adult, fcknut.
3 Go to commentsLooks like the Force twisted his leg…ahem arm
5 Go to commentsScotland should change their name to the Barbarians
3 Go to commentsThe game was already over leave the bloke alone ….from a Welsh fan 😀👍
3 Go to commentsShamefully the Toulouse players acted like footballers, falling down feigning injury at the slightest knock. About time refs penalised this play acting.
8 Go to commentsAnother non Scot for the anti Scot Townsend. Soon there will be no Scottish born and bred players in the National team.
3 Go to commentsGreat comeback to the playing field by Richie Mo’unga after the loss of his father. A great performance by Richie . I know him well and he is a great guy. On and off the field one of the greatest for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson would have loved him in his All Black’s side. A very missed player and person.
3 Go to commentsYeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
3 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
5 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
5 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
5 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
16 Go to comments