Komphela on Bok team – We will hit them hard

The South African Government will stop the Springboks from attending the Rugby World Cup if the controversial sport amendment bill is signed into law before the team leaves for France.

Butana Komphela, chairman of the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport, said that if the bill was signed into law the team would have to conform to its requirements or stay at home.

One of the requirements is a quota of 10 players of colour in the starting team. It had been thought that the act would not be introduced until after the World Cup.

“If that happens, they will be stopped. When the Australian cricket team were supposed to play in Zimbabwe, their Prime Minister said the team would not be allowed to go because there were no human rights there and the team didn’t go.

“Our government will do the same. We will take appropriate action by stopping them from leaving the country if necessary. We will hit them hard.

“People must understand we are a government and South Africa is not a banana republic. Rugby wants to have its own government. This country has only one government, led by President Mbeki,” said Komphela.

However, SARU deputy president Mike Stofile reacted by saying, “It has nothing to do with government.

“I hate this notion that comes up time and again that, before the announcement of a team or a squad, it must go to the minister of sport or the chair of the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport for approval.

“Rugby is controlled by rugby people, not by government,” said Stofile naively.

The Bok World Cup squad will be ratified tomorrow and announced on Saturday, but a number of players appear to be out of the running already. They have been released to play for their respective Currie Cup teams. Those released so far are:

Eddie Andrews, Tonderai Chavhanga, Bolla Conradie, Peter Grant, Breyton Paulse, Gerrie Britz, Jaco Pretorius, Heinke van der Merwe, Bevin Fortuin, Jannie du Plessis, Kabamba Floors, Hilton Lobberts and Wayne Julies.

Add to that the injured Luke Watson and Cobus Visagie and the retired AJ Venter and a possible Springbok World Cup squad looks as follows:

Props: BJ Botha, CJ van der Linde, Os du Randt, Gurthro Steenkamp
Hookers: John Smit, Bismarck du Plessis, Gary Botha
Locks: Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Johann Muller, Albert van den Berg
Loose forwards: Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Pierre Spies, Danie Rossouw, Bob Skinstad, Wikus van Heerden.
Scrumhalves: Fourie du Preez, Ricky Januarie, Ruan Pienaar
Flyhalves: Butch James, Andre Pretorius
Centres: Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Wynand Olivier
Wings: Bryan Habana, Ashwin Willemse, Akona Ndungane
Fullbacks: Percy Montgomery, Francois Steyn
Reserves: Johan Ackermann, Deon Carstens, Jacques Cronjé, Pedrie Wannenburg, Waylon Murray, JP Pietersen, Michael Claassens, Derick Hougaard.