They say that sport and Politics should never mix, yet invariably they do. The FIFA World Cup is about to commence and fans across the globe will for a month forget the failings of FIFA and the world will focus on football rather than the actions of those currently leading the host nation, Russia.
One country that has had its sport bogged down in Politics for over 50 years is South Africa.
First of all there was the severing of ties with the country because of its apartheid regime. Ironically FIFA was one of the first international sporting bodies to take a stand in 1963 and rejected the proposal of South Africa fielding an all-white or all-black team at the 1966 and 1970 World Cups.
Apartheid officially came to a close on the 27th of April 1994, and the late Nelson Mandela in his role as President of South Africa effectively used sport to unite the nation. It was he who convinced the African National Congress to allow South African Rugby to keep the Springbok name and logo; he knew that he had to leave white South Africa with some things that were dear to them.
Post Apartheid the Government introduced a quota system within sport to speed up the integration of athletes of colour into the national teams. It was a move that many agreed had to happen after Black athletes had been excluded for so long. Yet it was regrettably a system that was not thought through.
As many of the Black players who have been privileged to play for their country will tell you, being labelled a “Quota player” is extremely demeaning. Some of those who were picked have said that it destroyed their careers, as they were pushed forward into the team before they were ready. They knew they were not ready, their team mates knew they were not ready.
As many have revealed what should have evolved was that the national squads should have had quotas, however from those squads the coaches should have been allowed to pick the best team.
Almost 30 years have passed since the end of apartheid and it is sad to read so many politically linked comments being made of Siya Kolisi being made Captain of the Springboks for the Test series against Eddie Jones’s England. By now it should not be such a big deal that a Black player has been appointed captain, even if they are to become the first non-white captain, especially not a player such as Kolisi who has shown his credentials at the Stormers and as a player with the Springboks.
Sadly some are calling his appointment a “Political power play.” Which once again undermines the achievement of the man, and takes away the honour being bestowed on him, and what it must mean.
HIs is a real rags-to-riches story and surely this should be the story being told to inspire young players around the country. He grew up in the Eastern Cape and was raised by his grandparents surviving on sandwiches of bread and jam at school break-time.
His mother, Phakama, gave birth to him when she was just 16 years of age and his father moved away, HIs bed was made up of sofa pillows on his grandparents floor.
He started playing rugby for African Bombers but sadly his Grandmother collapsed and died in his arms when he was just eight years old. Then fate took a hand in his life, despite speaking very little English he was offered a Rugby scholarship to the famous Grey College and then impressed at provincial and and national level.
He recently told the media in South Africa that he played his trial game in a pair of boxer shorts as he did not possess any shorts. As a Child he spent every weekend playing rugby with fellow Springbok and lifelong friend Nizam Carr. Yet despite that as has been reported no one from where he grew up would have dared to dream that one day they would become Captain of the Springboks.
This is the story that should be being told, that in South Africa children now have the right to dream, that they can make it to the top despite their humble upbringing. One of the reasons being that the country does have a very good scouting network and if players show promise they will be given an opportunity as no one wants to miss out on a star of the future.
Kolisi is a special man as not only his career has shown, but also the life he has lived. IN addition to his tough early years he found out when he returned home from school that he had two younger siblings. However when his mother suddenly passed away he lost track of them. He never gave up searching and aged 23 located them and with his wife became their legal guardians.
As Springbok great Bryan Habana was quoted as saying, “He is an inspiration. Siya becoming Captain is a massive moment for South African rugby and South African history. We’ve waited a long time for it. We have a very unique history that no other rugby playing country in the world has to deal with.”
South Africa is unique and far be it from this writer to tell them how to run their sport or their country, but they have some outstanding athletes and some talented teams that sports fans across the globe love to see at their best.
This appointment has the potential to be a watershed moment for the country if the Politicians and Sports administrators wish it to be. Black athletes like Siya Kolisi have shown that they are worthy of being in the Springboks, that they are amongst the best players not only in South Africa but also the World. They no longer should have to to put up with people having the opportunity to demean their achievements by claiming they are only there because of a quota. If they are truly to stand shoulder to shoulder as a team representing the Rainbow Nation, it has to be on merit
Two generations have grown up since Apartheid finished, surely now it is only right to abandon quotas? It is not fair on these Black athletes to have their success belittled by such a term. They are now there on merit. Few are there to make up the numbers. Now no longer do we simply see Black players on the wing because they can run like the wind, now we are seeing players of colour fill all the positions on a rugby field. They are no longer token selections. These men have earned their place on the team, and they deserve to be respected.
He may not realise it now but Siya Kolisi could be the man who has the power to change the South African sporting landscape and see it rise above politics and return to being based wholly and solely on merit. Certainly he deserves the honour being bestowed upon him from a sporting standpoint. Hopefully when he leads his team out tomorrow Politics will fade into the background and we will celebrate the man.
