SA rugby back in the war zone
Rugby boss Brian van Rooyen's eight-month-old regime is on Wednesday staggering under a new series of blows to its credibility.
Not for the first time, controversy is swirling around the hard-hitting president of the South African Rugby Football Union, elected unopposed in December, who returned to South Africa from New Zealand this week.
In the latest blows:
- South African Rugby was forced to back down to Springbok player power over payments and representation on the board of South African Rugby.
- Van Rooyen's veteran deputy, Keith Parkinson, resigned suddenly as a result.
- The union was forced to backtrack on an affirmative action plan for the national schoolboys team.
- An unconvincing explanation was given for why South Africa's leading lineout forward, Victor Matfield, is able to play for his province this weekend but not fit enough for the Boks against the All Blacks.
The climbdown on Tuesday by Van Rooyen and the chairperson of the board of South African Rugby, Theunie Lategan, over the Springbok payments issue led to the resignation of Parkinson, who has been a devoted Van Rooyen ally.
Parkinson, who had recently negotiated a pay package for the Springboks on behalf of South African Rugby, said he had been marginalised by the "unilateral" actions of Van Rooyen and Lategan.
"My personal situation within South Africa Rugby has now become untenable," he said.
The Boks and their representatives in the South African Rugby Players' Association had been unhappy with the package Parkinson negotiated, although Van Rooyen had described it as a "fair deal".
On Saturday the players protested against the deal by wearing white armbands in the Test match against the Pacific Islands in Sydney.
Van Rooyen also resisted demands by players for long-term contracts and representation on the board of South African Rugby. He agreed that players should have a representative at board level, but one "who does not have an agenda". "The players' official bodies have agendas," he added.
Late last week, the selectors who would pick the national schoolboys team at the Craven Week were instructed by Sarfu vice-president Mike Stofile to choose eight "brown" players, seven black (presumably ethnic African) and seven white players.
The selectors objected to the instruction and chose 11 white players and 11 black (coloured and African) instead.
This week, star Springbok Matfield was sent home because of what the team management said was a knee injury that needed surgery.
But a Pretoria knee specialist, said Matfield needed only a short rest and declared the lock forward fit to play for the Blue Bulls on Saturday in a Currie Cup match.
In June Matfield was also said to be injured and was not included in the Springbok team to visit Australia and New Zealand. Sharks player AJ Venter was his replacement.
Springbok selection convener André Markgraaff, a Van Rooyen ally, ordered the Sharks not to play Venter in a Currie Cup match three days before the Bok team was due to leave.
The Sharks defied the order and Markgraaff promptly dropped Venter, bringing back Matfield, who was said to have made a "miraculous recovery".
Following an outcry over Markgraaff's actions, the selection chief then contrived to get Venter back into the touring team.
There was strong speculation today that Matfield would rejoin the Springbok team next week in time for the Tri-Nations Test against Australia in Perth on July 31. It is believed that Springbok coach Jake White will resist the move because of a fall-out with the player.
The Matfield issue could still become a test of wills between White and Markgraaff.
Van Rooyen's presidency has been marred by controversy.
Soon after his election, one of the most respected men in South African rugby, former Bok captain Morné du Plessis, resigned from the board of South African Rugby.
Du Plessis was disillusioned with the "wheeling and dealing" in South African rugby.
He was also dissatisfied with the process of selecting a new Springbok coach to succeed Rudolf Straeuli.
Van Rooyen also openly criticised the then managing director of South African Rugby, Songezo Nayo, accusing him of incompetence. Nayo resigned soon afterwards.