TARC Open letter to Oregan Hoskins

TRANSFORMATION AND ANTI-RACISM RUGBY COMMITTEE

PO Box 4443, Cresta 2118
Tel +27119843254
Fax +27119844417
Cell +27845852300

29th November 2007

Oregan Hoskins
President of the South African Rugby Union

Dear Oregan,

Re: Open letter to Oregan Hoskins, President of the South African Rugby Union

The Transformation and Anti-racism Rugby Committee (TARC) met with you in your capacity as President of the SARU on the 6th of September 2006. The meeting was requested by you to discuss the issues of racism and transformation in rugby. At this meeting it was agreed by both parties that the issues of racism and transformation in rugby were important challenges facing SA Rugby. You stated that you were committed to addressing these challenges. More than a year has passed since that meeting and the TARC would like to highlight important issues and raise certain questions relating to the transformation of rugby in the country.

The euphoria of winning the Rugby World Cup has temporarily relegated the failure to transform rugby to the sidelines. The emotive outpouring by the public has helped side step the issue of poor administration. However, most people realise that the World Cup was won in spite of your rugby administration and not because it. The TARC would like to challenge your leadership concerning the following issues.

1. Why has the timeframe to select the next national coach been changed? The initial date of the 4th of December 2007 to begin the final process in the selection of the next coach is being moved to a later as yet unspecified date. Why is the selection process so prolonged? The SARU, impatiently, started the process during the World Cup by advertising the post for the National Coach while the tournament was still in progress and now chooses to delay the selection. Is this delay to allow the SARU more time to gauge the prevailing sentiment and to manipulate the process accordingly? Will the SARU have the courage to commit to transformation meaningfully by appointing a black coach and in so doing risk alienating their traditional support base? The TARC believes that the only viable solution is to immediately appoint a black coach and to afford him the support and commitment such a position deserves. It is equally vital that the SARU commit to a process of empowering black coaches at all levels of rugby and supporting the development of black coaches for the future. The SARU Elite Coaches programme provided for the training of black coaches up to level three IRB accreditation but failed to provide opportunities for the successful coaches. The provincial unions continue to ambush the transformation agenda and have been allowed to continue using less qualified white coaches instead of giving opportunities to black coaches who have come through the SARU Elite Coaches programme. This proves what the TARC has always said. Development initiatives need to be tied to opportunities programmes to promote change. The same applies to the development of black managers, administrators, referees, medical staff and players.

2. What have you done, Mr Hoskins, since your appointment as president to prioritise and drive the process of transformation? Is the Transformation Charter, that you have adopted, dead? The process of completing the balanced score cards by the unions began in June last year. This was meant to be an urgent process to identify the status quo and define the base line. Has this process been completed or has the provincial unions chosen to ignore the scorecards? Was the Charter an attempt at pacifying key stakeholders like Government or just a delaying tactic allowing the SARU time to invent another pseudo-transformation initiative? Over the past sixteen years the SARU has moved from one transformation initiative to the next at great cost to rugby only to defer the problem to a future generation. The TARC believes that your leadership has failed to deliver a sustainable development programme and in fact has driven black rugby clubs to their present crisis. Club aid is an issue in point.


3. Has the SARU abandoned the quota system? If so, what development plan do you have to offer opportunities to the disadvantaged majority? Has the SARU misunderstood the gesture offered by the Minister of Sport believing falsely that the Government and the people of South Africa are content with the demographic representation of the National team? You have failed to lead a partnership with Government that prioritises rugby development in disadvantaged areas. What system will you have to negate the underlying racism inherent in the selection of teams, coaches and referees in many instances in rugby?


4. Do you believe that the Springbok emblem should be retained by the SARU? The emblem carries the baggage of the past but is a goldmine for the SARU. What percentage of profits made by the SARU by the Springbok emblem is channelled into rugby development in historically disadvantaged communities? Is the Springbok brand used to reinforce racial exclusivity in rugby?


Rugby as with all sport in the country belongs to the entire nation. As president of the SARU you are accountable. Actions taken by you must be transparent, honest and for the good of rugby in the long term and more importantly they must lead rugby forward into a truly non-racial era. You have failed to demonstrate leadership that will lead South African rugby forward. Your administration has been plagued with mismanagement, indecisiveness and hidden agendas and has allowed a national sport to bow down to the whims of a third force. The TARC demands that you reconsider making yourself available for re-election in March next year and do the right thing by stepping down as president of the SARU. The time has come for leadership with vision and strength.


Yours faithfully,
Dr As’ad Bhorat
Secretary of the TARC