Schalk Mouton
ALMOST 20 years into democracy and with R500-million spent by SA Rugby, transformation efforts in the sport are floundering as government is failing to come to the party.
At school rugby level, where the most rugby development should take place, large rugby unions like the Blue Bulls are accused of the "wholesale" poaching of players from the Western Cape to bolster their quotas.
Players' school fees are paid by the schools and the players can hope for a possible contract at the rugby union after school.
While this brings players out of poor, underdeveloped communities, Western Cape principals said they spent thousands on the development of these players, just for the Bulls to poach them.
In the Craven Week for high schools ? being hosted in Polokwane, Limpopo, from July 8 to 13 ? nine out of each squad of 22 players should be "players of colour".
"Everybody does it," Johan Schoeman, manager of rugby development at the Blue Bulls rugby union, said about the recruitment from other provinces.
"If the circumstances are so that you walk into a brick wall, and you can't get the talent you need in your own communities, then you go and search for it in the Cape," he said.
Dirk Marais, principal of the Swartland Ho?rskool in Malmesbury, said the Bulls made frequent recruitment forays to the Western Cape to fill their quotas.
"I have lost my whole blackline," Marais said about the Bulls' most recent recruiting drive.
"I spent R35000 to develop one of my top players, Duncan Matthews, and Heyneke Meyer personally came and recruited him."
Pretoria's Garsfontein Ho?rskool has even set up a Section 21 company to fund the recruitment and development of players.
Schoeman said while the Bulls were spending "millions" in trying to develop the game in underprivileged areas, they were getting no support from either the Education Department or Sports and Recreation Department.
"There are no facilities. The teachers are not willing to participate in extramural activities and there are no funds," he said.
The Sports and Recreation Department ? which spent R46-million last year on their Sports Awards Gala Dinner ? signed a memorandum of understanding with the Education Department 1? years ago, taking over all responsibility for sports development at schools.
However, except for a series of national tournaments for the top schools, the department had not contributed a "single cent" to rugby development, Schoeman said.
The department could not be reached for comment.
The Blue Bulls have increased the number of "underdeveloped" schools playing rugby by 40%, and now have up to 3000 children competing in games in townships. "But our Springboks come from private and city schools," Schoeman said.
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