In any large organization CEO’s talk about the importance of diversity to enable employees to approach problems from different angles creating a more holistic solution. Rugby is no different in that signing players who all look the same, think the same and speak the same language aren’t able to problem solve situations as well as a diverse group. We come from a wonderfully diverse nation with rich cultures and belief systems that add to the mix of what makes South African so special. We have a very unjust history where large portions of the population were shunned from playing in professional sport or even watching it. That happened, we cannot change that. What we can do is lean into embracing our diversity rather than fearing it.
Anyone who watched the wonderful Supersport show, Chasing the Sun cannot deny that Rassie Erasmus embracing transformation and all that it can offer made a difference in the success at the Rugby World Cup. He is a breath of fresh air when he talks about the elephant in the room instead of awkwardly avoiding it like previous coaches. No one can say that the team that he selected were in any way making up numbers but the best players for the blueprint that he created to win. There is no reason that the local coaches cannot do the same thing with the abundance of talent we have in South Africa. One has to just watch any junior rugby be it schools or Craven Week matches to see the talent on display. We owe it our country to try to help repair the injustices of the past in any way shape or form.
Rassie is not alone on his mission to incorporate transformation as a key element of his team’s success, the Sharks are very much on board. They have not done anything out of the ordinary in recruiting a young squad filled with players from both Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape. Not only have they created a diverse squad but they have made the team representative of the area they play in. Again to say that they have compromised the on field product versus ticking the transformation box would be unfounded as they were the form SA team during Super Rugby. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing approach to transformation in a squad but it starts with honest conversation amongst players and coaches.
The Eastern Cape is an untapped reserve of rugby talent that isn’t seeing the light of day and until the structures are in place to offer opportunities to young players the talent pool won’t grow like it should. We are seeing players who are coming through the ranks of so called privileged schools who have the money and facilities to nurture talent but what is happening on the other end of the spectrum – very little. Shining a spotlight on the areas where players aren’t being discovered will no doubt produce more Siya Kolisi’s from Zwide and boy we could do with more Siyas.
Coaches and administrations are at a crossroads when it comes to transformation and my advice would be to lean into it and embrace the future. We think we are good as a rugby nation but imagine how good we could be if all the talented youngsters had an opportunity to make it. It would be foolish not to see it as a huge opportunity after seeing the success of a truly transformed Springbok team being crowned the best in the world.
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