Tony Ehrenreich

Cosatu’s provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich.

Trade union federation Cosatu says it wholeheartedly supports the SA Rugby Union’s plans to ensure that half the Springbok team is made up of players of colour by 2019.

SARU on Monday confirmed its Transformation Strategic Plan, which aims to bring all of South Africa’s representative rugby teams, along with domestic teams in line with national targets in five years.

SARU wants to make sure that by 2019 at least half the Springbok side consists of players of colour, with 60% of those required to be black African.

Sport24

Cosatu on Monday released a statement on its website saying it supports SARU’s new plan, hinting that a so-called ‘boere clique’ and ‘boere mafia’ still controls rugby in South Africa.

“Cosatu had been approached by a number of rugby players, both black and white, who are concerned about how a conservative old boere clique controls SA Rugby.

Cosatu supports the call for quotas in rugby to ensure that the establishment within rugby don’t continue to frustrate a more representative rugby team.

Clearly there are many incredibly talented and skilled black players who don’t get selected or only warm the bench. The coach (Heyneke Meyer) has brought back a lot of old retired players and has an outdated game plan that has not been able to keep track with All Blacks rugby,” the statement read.

Cosatu also hit out at DSTV, which broadcasts rugby programmes via its sports channel, SuperSport.

“DSTV are also complicit in promoting the old boys club in SA Rugby and continues to put up commentators who talk up the old status quo. Cosatu supports (former Springbok wing) Ashwin Willemse for keeping SA Rugby honest by raising the difficult questions that must be considered if we are to have a more representative team and better brand of rugby. Cosatu will fight any attempts to victimise Willemse for raising these tough questions on the DSTV programme.

“Cosatu calls for the transformation plan to be discussed publicly and for inputs at all levels to be included in the discussions towards the final policy. Cosatu also calls on the sponsors, such as SA Breweries and Absa to take a stand on the matters of transformation, failing which we will call on Government to review the tax breaks they receive for their sponsorship as well as plan protest action against them.”

The trade union also used 100-Test capped Springbok wing Bryan Habana as an example of how the quota system could work.

“Cosatu will remind Habana that without political pressure, he would not have made the team and would not have been able to display his amazing talent. The white establishment need black faces to give legitimacy to their manipulation of the team and those blacks must not deny that they initially got into the teams because of political pressure on the boere mafia of rugby.”

SARU, meanwhile, also set a mandate for the Springbok coach to select at least five black players in his squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England as well as include seven players of colour in his match-day squad in the lead-up to the tournament.

All 14 of South Africa’s provincial unions approved the new strategic plan on August 13 this year and SARU has already shared the plan with SASCOC and the sports ministry.

The next step is for SARU’s general council to approve the plan.

15 Responses to SA Rugby: Cosatu – End rugby’s “BOERE CLIQUE”

  • 1

    “Cosatu will remind Habana that without political pressure, he would not have made the team and would not have been able to display his amazing talent.”

    Tony Ehrenreich you sir are a lying cnut of the highest order.

    Mr Habana attended an elist Rugby playing school where he would always have been spotted as a talent and earmarked for higher honours.

    You and the organisations that you associate yourself with will always twist the reality to suit your own agenda.

    Stop talking SHIT and do something constructive to allow the development of black and coloured Rugby players across the country, especially those living in “previously disadvantaged” areas and attending schools without even the most basic of sporting facilities.

    You sir are just another cretinous politician who jumps on every bandwagon capable of providing you with a mile or two of publicity, but who’s history of total inadequacy in relation to performing on promises made is indellibly etches in the history of this country.

    Shut the F up and do something constructive you fool.

  • 2

    Bryan is not here to defend himself, so I will do it on his behalf then.
    Could the Hon. Ehrenreich please explain how this ‘political Habana’ managed to notch up 100 test matches for his country over the past 9 years? No player can last that long, even with political support, if he is not extremely good at his game.
    This is a major insult to one of our legendary Springboks, coming from a nincompoop politician who probably gets his counsel from shebeen owners in the Cape flats.

  • 3

    “SARU wants to make sure that by 2019 at least half the Springbok side consists of players of colour, with 60% of those required to be black African.”

    In the other article it was 50%(If coloureds are also considered black african)… now it is 60%?

  • 4

    Tony is a lying cnut of note whose career is on the wane therefore he tries to insert himself anywhere he might generate some publicity.

    He is craven and morally bankrupt.

  • 6

    1 @ Scrumdown:Excellent, excellent post.

    Approve Approve Approve Approve Approve

  • 7

    Only 6 comments?
    Tony will be bitterly disappointed…
    Sees like he is also headed for the Butane Komphela cul-de-sac then…with Frolick and VetFransman in tow. Old Gert Oosthuizen showed them the way down that alley two years ago already.
    Mense innie Kaap luister lankaaaal nie meer na hulle praatjies nie.

  • 8

    T. E. and E.T.

    Both realists of the highest order.

  • 9

    Tony Ehrenreich, you’are goat claiming to be a sheep. Unamanga (you’re lying!) so you mean Dean Furman is in Bafana set up because your damn bla! bla! Bla! Why can’t you people concentrate on your stupid politics and leave the sport alone? Bryan said it himself, he never understood what apartheid was (cos he loved the sport). Let me tell you because you seem to be talking too much now. Some of your people (coloureds) had privileges in the apartheid government now you’re crying black tears! I am black African but I love sport not colour, so let’s enjoy sport without colour because once it becomes colourful, it will turned to be a modelling contest something we won’t enjoy thina-ke esithanda ezemidlalo. Wena nje into okumele uyenze, wukunaka iCosatu yakho lapho eWestern Cape.

  • 10

    Tony Ehrenreich, you’are goat claiming to be a sheep. Unamanga (you’re lying!) so you mean Dean Furman is in Bafana set up because your damn bla! bla! Bla! Why can’t you people concentrate on your stupid politics and leave the sport alone? Bryan said it himself, he never understood what apartheid was (cos he loved the sport). Let me tell you because you seem to be talking too much now. Some of your people (coloureds) had privileges in the apartheid government now you’re crying black tears! I am black African but I love sport not colour, so let’s enjoy sport without colour because once it becomes colourful, it will turned to be a modelling contest something we won’t enjoy thina-ke esithanda ezemidlalo. Wena nje into okumele uyenze, wukunaka iCosatu yakho lapho eWestern Cape. @ Scrumdown:
    I think Tony should see this comment and call Bryan to apologise as soon as possible. he’s goat!

  • 11

    @ Sazito:
    Hey sazito, what is wukunaka?

    We like the play?sport?. If you want something to do, go to your cosatu in the western cape?

  • 12

    damn our resident Shark Zulu is gone

  • 13

    @ MacroBok:
    Ukunaka is to concentrate or take care of.

  • 14

    @ Sazito:
    So go care of your Cosatu?

    Thanks 🙂

  • 15

    @ MacroBok: Concentrate on your Cosatu!

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