Springboks Fall Short of Transformation Targets in 2023
South Africa, November 2023 – A recent report from the South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) has revealed that the national team, the Springboks, did not meet their goals for black player representation in 2023. Despite the positive steps taken in recent years, including the historic appointment of Siya Kolisi as the first-ever black Springboks captain, the team still fell short of the targets set by the governing body.
Last year, when the Springboks won a record-breaking fourth Rugby World Cup title, they were tasked with including 54% “generic black players” and 27% “ethnically black players” in their squads. However, the report states that during the Rugby Championship, the team only achieved 39% “generic black players” and 13% “ethnically black players.” At the World Cup, the figures were 38% and 16% respectively.
“Intervention is needed,” the report stated. “The red flags underline the importance of tackling the gap in representation at a lower level to ensure an inclusive pipeline for national teams.”
The audit, which is part of SA Rugby’s Strategic Transformation Development Plan for 2030, aims to increase black and brown representation in South African sports teams by the start of the next decade, with a 60% target for the Springboks. However, the report noted that the SA Schools teams have also failed to reach their transformation goals, leaving the governing body concerned.
The report emphasized the importance of ensuring that all national teams reflect the rich diversity of South Africa without compromising performance standards.
While the news was not entirely positive for the Springboks, there were some brighter spots for the country’s franchises. The Sharks and Stormers were both at or above 54% “generic black players” in the Champions Cup, but the Bulls lagged behind at 31%. In the United Rugby Championship, the Stormers reached 49% and the Sharks 44%, while the Lions (33%) and Bulls (28%) fell short of the targets.
The report concluded by stating that a “proactive approach” is needed, which includes consequences for provincial unions that do not meet the transformation targets, in order to ensure that all South African rugby teams reflect the diversity of the country.
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