Go Bokke!

Ek skryf hierdie oggend van die 2023 Rugby Wêreldbeker Finaal omdat die boodskap waar is, of die Bokke wen of verloor.

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Hierdie boodskap lewe al in my hart sedert 2019 toe Siya die Webb Ellis-trofee in Japan gelig het, en ek wil dit graag vandag deel, vier jaar later.

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In die era toe ek rugby gespeel het as 'n skoolseun, en later as senior rugbyspeler, was dit die tyd waarin die kwotastelsel by alle spelers van daardie era gesteel het. Ek was bevoorreg om gekies te word vir die 2000 SA-skolespan, en ek het die eer gehad om onder die oorlede Kaunda Ntunja as SA-skolekaptein te speel. #CaptainMyCaptain

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Kaunda was die heel eerste swart SA Skolekaptein in die geskiedenis. Natuurlik is hy gesien as die token kwotakaptein. Hierdie kon nie verder van die waarheid wees nie. Kaunda was 'n charismatiese leier met energie en entoesiasme wat die potensiaal gehad het om baie diep spore in Suid-Afrikaanse Rugby te stap. En het hy nie 'n ongelooflike impak gehad op rugby in ons land nie? Hy het bekendheid verwerf as die Xhosa-kommentator wat die spel toeganklik gemaak het vir die Suid-Afrikaanse massas. Natuurlik was hy ook die een wat vir Siya verwelkom het op die veld toe Siya sy eerste toets as kaptein opgedraf het, wat nou nog trane in mense se o? bring.

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Maar al het Kaunda alles gehad vir die sprokiesverhaal as die eerste swart SA Skolekaptein, sal die geskiedenis wys dat ons ook die eerste SA-skolespan geword het om te verloor teen die SA Akademie-span. Ons het halftyd met 20–3 voorgeloop en uiteindelik met 20–23 verloor. Sonder om enige iets weg te neem van die spelers van daardie SA Akademie-span wat die wen verdien het, was die twee spanne verseker nie die beste en tweede beste spanne in die land nie, as gevolg van die kwotastelsel.

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Ek dink een van die dinge wat meeste mense nie regtig verstaan nie, is dat daar geen wenners was in daardie tyd nie. Die spelers van kleur wat op meriete gekies was, soos my spanmaat Ricky Januarie wat saam met my op die bank was daardie dag, het verloor omdat mense hulle gesien het as kwotaspelers, terwyl hulle eintlik net goeie spelers was met 'n ander velkleur as blank. Die spelers van kleur wat nie op meriete daar was nie, het beter as enige iemand anders geweet dat hulle nie goed genoeg was nie en het besef hulle laat die span in die steek. Dan die blanke speler wat die span moes maak, maar nie gekies was nie, het die ervaring om in so 'n wedstryd te speel, uitgemis. En dan die blanke speler wat wel die span gemaak het, soos ek, het geweet dat jy nie op al 14 van jou spanmaats op die veld kon pyltrek om die wedstryd te wen nie.

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In ander woorde, alle spelers van daardie era het op hulle eie manier verloor as gevolg van die kwotastelsel. Plus, daar was geen aanduiding dat die sisteem werklik werk nie.

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Toe Siya en die 2019 Bokspan in Japan opdaag, was hulle waarlik die eerste span waarin daar regtig geen kwotaspelers gekies is nie. Al die spelers wat daar opgedaag het, het op meriete daar aangekom, ongeag hul velkleur. Daar was nie beter spelers in hulle posisies by die huis nie! En toe hulle die toernooi wen, was dit vir my en ek is seker vir 'n klomp ander spelers van my era so hartroerend dat ons opoffering die moeite werd was, dat ek vir drie dae nie kon ophou huil nie.

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Vanoggend is ek weer oorval met dieselfde emosie. Siya, jy en jou manne verskaf my soveel vreugde! Baie dankie daarvoor! Go Bokke!

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I am sharing this message with you this morning of the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final because the message is true, whether the Springboks win or lose.

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This message has been living in my heart since 2019 when Siya lifted the Webb Ellis trophy in Japan, and I want to share it today, four years later.

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In the era when I played rugby as a schoolboy and later as a senior rugby player, it was the time when the quota system stole from all players of that era. I was privileged to be chosen for the 2000 SA Schools team, and I had the honor of playing under the late Kaunda Ntunja as the SA Schools captain. #CaptainMyCaptain

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Kaunda was the very first black SA Schools Captain in history. Naturally, he was seen as the token quota captain. This couldn't have been further from the truth. Kaunda was a charismatic leader with energy and enthusiasm that had the potential to make deep impressions in South African Rugby. And didn't he have an incredible impact on rugby in our country? He gained fame as the Xhosa commentator who made the game accessible to the South African masses. Of course, he was also the one who welcomed Siya onto the field when Siya captained his first test, a moment that still brings tears to people's eyes.

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But even though Kaunda had everything for the fairytale story as the first black SA Schools Captain, history will show that we also became the first SA Schools team to lose to the SA Academy team. We led 20-3 at halftime and eventually lost 20-23. Without taking anything away from the players of that SA Academy team who deserved the win, the two teams certainly weren't the best and second-best teams in the country due to the quota system.

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One of the things that most people don't really understand is that there were no winners in those times. Players of color chosen on merit, like my teammate Ricky Januarie who was on the bench with me that day, lost because people saw them as quota players when they were actually just good players with a different skin color than white. Players of color who weren't there on merit knew better than anyone else that they weren't good enough, knowing they were letting the team down. Then the white player who had to make the team but wasn't chosen had the experience to play in such a match wasted. And then the white player who did make the team, like me, knew that you couldn't rely on all 14 of your teammates on the field to win the match.

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In other words, all players of that era lost in their own way due to the quota system. Plus, there was no indication that the system really worked.

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When Siya and the 2019 Springbok team arrived in Japan, they were truly the first team in which there were genuinely no quota players chosen. All the players who showed up arrived on merit, regardless of their skin color. There not better players in their positions at home! And when they won the tournament, it was so moving for me and I'm sure for many other players of my era that our sacrifices were worth it, that I couldn't stop crying for three days.

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This morning, I was overwhelmed again with the same emotion. Siya, you and your men bring me so much joy! Thank you very much! Go Bokke!