SA rugby is in a state, says Luyt
|Published
The state of South African rugby is "pathetic".
"Tough action is urgently - indeed, desperately - needed."
Get rid of Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli. Replace him with former national coach, Kimberley's Andre Markgraaff.
Conduct a clearout of "dead wood" among the hierarchy of the SA Rugby Football Union and the professional arm, SA Rugby.
"They, in fact, should step down. They know who they are."
The start of much of the trouble in South African rugby could be traced back to the firing of Natal's Gary Teichmann as Bok captain prior to the 1999 World Cup.
Striking out on Friday with these statements - and much more - was a man who has been there, done that and got most of the T-shirts, Louis Luyt.
The often controversial former South African Rugby Board (Sarfu) president, whose recently published autobiography, Walking Proud, is currently topping the local bestseller lists, was in expansive and passionate mood in an exclusive interview with The Independent on Saturday.
"No, I'm happy to talk," he said.
"It's good to get it off one's chest.
"Presently," he added, "we just don't have the people at the top with the feeling to run rugby."
He went on: "There's just no respect for South African rugby any more. We've slipped back to where we were in the isolation years.
"The state of our rugby, in a word, is pathetic.
"Tough action, as I said, is desperately needed.
"And now is the time to do it!"
Luyt said one couldn't put all the blame for this parlous state of affairs on one man or a select few.
"It's the whole lot of them in high positions who enjoy their gins and tonic in the boardroom, their reserved seats in the grandstand.
"They know who they are and, for the good of rugby, they should go," Luyt opined from his Ballito home on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast.
Straeuli was certainly one who had reached the end of the road.
He should step down as soon as possible or be fired for his inability to perform, and be replaced by "the country's most astute rugby brain - Andre Markgraaff".
"Backed up by the right team - for a start I'd have Carel du Plessis as assistant coach and Morne du Plessis in a managerial capacity - work could be started right away," Luyt went on, "with the aim of being truly competitive at the next World Cup in France in 2007."
The former SA rugby boss said things began to unravel as far back as 1999, with the firing of Teichmann by coach Nick Mallett.
"Nick did many fine things for South African rugby, including the unbeaten run of 17 consecutive test victories.
"But that was a bad mistake, firing Gary.
"Damn it all, he was your captain!
"Players looked up to him, respected him."
Luyt said he had a "very soft spot" for Bobby Skinstad.
"He was the last Springbok I capped, you know?
"But sacrificing Teichmann in that way wasn't on.
"An injured Skinstad - and everyone knew he was injured - just wasn't good enough."
Would Markgraaff be available to take over the coaching?
"Definitely. I've already spoken to him."
Markgraaff, of course, stepped down as national coach, after being caught out in a racist statement. (He was found to have made racist remarks in a taped phone call with his former provincial captain, Andre Bester, whose motives were far from above board, coming after he was dropped from the Griquas team.)
"Markgraaff had to go," Luyt acknowledged.
"The whole incident was most regrettable. But there was no question, he had to go.
"It happens, you know, with South Africans.
"People sometimes call us the 'bloody Boere'."
He felt, however, that Markgraaff has paid the price.
"I can tell you this - he is no racist, and should be inspanned again as soon as possible.
"He is his own man, strong, and players respect him.
"It's what we need - the return of people with true rugby culture.
"We need that aura again, the smell of liniment and wintergreen in the change rooms."
As of now, Straeuli's tenure as coach had "already gone on too long".
Luyt added: "I always knew we couldn't beat England.
"Anyone who thought we could had to be crazy."
"Straeuli's not the man.
"We saw that in Natal, too, with the Sharks.
"He can't win a final.
"If he were a company director he would have been fired long ago.
"Get rid also of fellow-travellers, the ja-broers among the directors of SA Rugby and on the Sarfu executive - and let us get moving ahead to better things."
Luyt's money is firmly on New Zealand to win the World Cup.
"But a defeat like the 29 to 9 hiding handed to us by the All Blacks tears at my heart.
"It really hurts!"