Boks take a step forward in transformation

Springbok rugby has made transformation its priority with the selection of five black African players in its 33-man touring team to Europe and Argentina.

This was not openly stated by SA Rugby officials at the announcement of the team, but it is clear that the organisation wanted to send a message to the government and the nation that it is serious about shedding its whites-only image.

Five is the highest number of black Africans selected in a Bok rugby touring team, which includes six new caps and contains 11 black players in total.

At least three of the African selections were unexpected: Gcobani Bobo, Tim Dlulane and Jongikhaya Nokwe. The two others, Solly Tyibilika and Hanyani Shimange, have been in the picture for most of the season.

Tyibilika is known to be a favourite of Springbok coach Jake White, and Shimange has been part of the Springbok squad all season.

Bobo has been battling with injuries since last year and could not command a regular place in the Lions Currie Cup team this season.

White is known to admire Dlulane's play, but Nokwe was a selection out of the blue. Nokwe is the only one of the 33 who plays for a second-division province.

There will be new caps for Dlulane, a flank forward from the Mpumalanga Pumas who has impressed this season, Nokwe, a big wing from Boland who has been one of the leading try-scorers in 2004, and Tyibilika, a flank forward for the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks who has also played Super 12 rugby for the Sharks.

The coloured players in the team are Eddie Andrews, Gurthro Steenkamp, Bryan Habana, Wayne Julies, Breyton Paulse and Ashwin Willemse. It will be first caps for Steenkamp and Habana.

The only white new cap is Free State scrumhalf Michael Claassens, who was locked in a rivalry with Western Province's Tertius Carse for selection.

Because of a spate of injuries, there has been a shortage of Springbok-class scrumhalves recently.

The racial make-up of the team is significant because of the pressures this week from the government's sports ministry on sporting federations to transform.

Although rugby was not singled out, the chairman of the Springbok selection committee, Andre Markgraaff, was targeted by the ANC Youth League.

Markgraaff's racist outburst of seven years ago was raised again by the ANC Youth League this week, but it had more to do with a key SA Rugby election that takes place on Friday than the selection of the Bok team.

Nevertheless, it is believed that Markgraaff wanted to show his transformation credentials by including more than the expected number of black Africans in the team.

Markgraaff, who will contest the vacant deputy presidency of SA Rugby against Mike Stofile on Saturday, has been championing the cause of transformation recently. He has spoken of revitalising rugby in the Eastern Cape, where it has been in the doldrums for several years.

Stofile, who is the brother of the Makhenkesi Stofile, the minister of sport, is from the Eastern Cape and is SA Rugby's vice-president, a position junior the deputy president.

The deputy president is also guaranteed a position on the International Rugby Board and is a much sought-after job.

The government declared its intentions of speeding up the pace of transformation this week when the sports ministry's Director-General Denver Hendricks said that it would soon table legislation in this area.

The squad to tour the UK and Argentina:

Backs:

De Wet Barry, Gcobani Bobo, Michael Claassens, Jean de Villiers, Fourie du Preez, Gaffie du Toit, Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana, Marius Joubert, Wayne Julies, Percy Montgomery, Jongikhaya Nokwe, Breyton Paulse, Brent Russell, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Ashwin Willemse

Forwards:

Eddie Andrews, Bakkies Botha, Gerrie Britz, Schalk Burger, Jacques Cronje, Tim Dlulane, Os du Randt, Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Solly Tyibilika, Hanyani Shimange, John Smit (captain), Juan Smith, Gurthro Steenkamp, CJ van der Linde, Joe van Niekerk, AJ Venter