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Springboks – South Africa, let’s be #StrongerT

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    Posted: 11-Jul-2019 at 8:53pm

Siya Kolisi, Duane Vermeulen, Elton Jantjies, Malcolm Marx and a number of their Springbok team mates made a passionate appeal to South Africans to throw their considerable weight behind the men in Green and Gold as they get set to kick off the all-important 2019 international season.

 

Together with Rassie Erasmus, the Director of Rugby, they gave South African media an unforgettable experience at a special event in Pretoria to mark the launch of the Springboks’ #StrongerTogether campaign.

 

“What the Springboks need to know is that their country is behind them, that their fellow South Africans are backing them – no matter which player is representing them on the rugby field,” said Erasmus.

 

“To know that your country has got your back is the only motivation to lift these players that they need – and that’s the major aim of the #StrongerTogether campaign. As a team we know when we that Together we are Stronger. And we know that as country South Africa is Stronger when it’s Together.

 

“Our job as players and management is to produce a winning Springbok team to lift our people and bring people Together. And with the sense that the country is at our backs we can do it. This campaign is not just about a rugby team, it’s about a country.”

 

At the centre-piece of the campaign is a television commercial capturing the pride, effort and emotion that goes into becoming a Springbok, but it is also mirrored by the pride and joy of ordinary South Africans in their country. It can be seen on the Springboks’ YouTube channel.

 

Kolisi, the Springbok captain, said: “This is not just a Springbok campaign – it is a South African campaign to galvanise the public not just behind their team but behind their country. It’s not just the Springboks who rise early, work hard, sweat and shed blood on the field.

 

“There are millions of South Africans, hard-working everyday people – whose names we will never know – who rise early, doing what they have to do so that they can provide for their families.

 

“This campaign is for you – the taxi driver, mine worker, blue collar worker, nurses and doctors, teachers, engineers, students – all ordinary South Africans who do what they do to make this country stronger.”

 

The Springbok season kicks off next Saturday (20 July) with a Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against Australia at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg.

 

To underline the message of togetherness the numbers on the players’ jerseys will be constructed from the faces of South Africans – entertainers, business and media people, radio and television personalities, rugby writers and the players’ close family members.

 

Any South African stands a chance to get their face on a Springbok jersey – at no charge – by registering here as part of the Faces on Numbers campaign which will run into the Rugby World Cup.

 

Media who attended the launch were handed a Springbok jersey – featuring their face in a number – in a specially constructed locker room at the Springbok hotel on Thursday.

 

Springbok flyhalf Handré Pollard told the gathering of his emotions around wearing the jersey: “The honour of representing my country is something I don’t ever take lightly,” he said.

 

“Every time I put on this jersey, I know that it could be my last. It’s why I will do my best to bring honour to this jersey, and when I do give up this jersey, I plan to leave it in a better place for the next number 10 to wear.”

 

Hard-as-nails Duane Vermeulen recalled his experiences of donning the Springbok No 8 jersey on the world stage: “I’ve played for different rugby teams around the world, and I’ve come to realise that a team that plays for a good supporter base wins a lot of games,” he said.

 

“As Springboks, we don’t just play for each other, we play for every South African around the world. The colour we are doesn’t matter, what matters is the colours we’re wearing. I hope all South Africans will wear their jerseys with pride and rally behind us. That’s what makes us #StrongerTogether.

 

The Springboks will play their Farewell Test – before departing for the Rugby World Cup against Japan – against Argentina at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on 17 August.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WitBoer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Jul-2019 at 6:51am
Alhoewel ek dink die Bokke behoort beter te vaar onder Rassie as wat hulle onder Toetie gevaar het, het ek al so 12 jaar terug (toe P de Villiers aangestel was as Bok afrigter), myself belowe dat ek nooit weer die Bokke sal ondersteun voordat meriete nie die enigste maatstaf is waarvolgens spelers en afrigters gekies word nie.
Besluit nog of ek Wallis of Ierland wil ondersteun by die Wereldbeker. 
"Believe nothing, No matter where you read it, Or who has said it, Not even if I have said it, Unless it agrees with your own reason And your own common sense" - Buddha
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote valie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Jul-2019 at 8:08am
Originally posted by WitBoer WitBoer wrote:

Alhoewel ek dink die Bokke behoort beter te vaar onder Rassie as wat hulle onder Toetie gevaar het, het ek al so 12 jaar terug (toe P de Villiers aangestel was as Bok afrigter), myself belowe dat ek nooit weer die Bokke sal ondersteun voordat meriete nie die enigste maatstaf is waarvolgens spelers en afrigters gekies word nie.
Besluit nog of ek Wallis of Ierland wil ondersteun by die Wereldbeker. 
Die Kwota ding steek my ook dwars in die krop. Ek dink die Pumas gaan ook nogal n span wees om mee rekening te hou, so ek sal hulle ook support.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lion4ever Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Jul-2019 at 12:06pm
I see things so much different to you guys. I love my country, and my sports teams. So I will still support the Springboks, the Proteas and Bafana Bafana, and every other national sports team. I am fully aware of the problems that plague our teams. I am afraid that, especially in rugby that the administrators, selectors, scouts and coaches have let us all down in making rugby more accessible to everyone. The current quota system is damaging in the long run, because unfortunately even brilliant POC's are seen as quota players, when they would under normal circumstances be chosen because of talent, form and potential. 

A classic example of this is what my brother in law in England thinks of Kagiso Rabada. A fantastic bowler, currently ranked no 4 in the ICC ODI bowling rankings. He cannot be bad if he is ranked no 4. If memory serves me correctly, before the world cup he was ranked 1. Unfortunately he had a bad world cup. However, my brother in law believes there are better bowlers available in SA, simply because of Rabada's ethnicity. That is what the quota system does to players of talent, irrespective of colour. We have some fantastic players across all races. 

The problem is not only the quota system, but coaches selecting players on reputation and provincial bias. Rassie seems to be fixated on WP players. HM was fixated on Bulls or ex Bulls players. We can go right through our coaches from the beginning of Springbok rugby and find that they would always have some sort of provincial bias. 

We should not dump our teams because of some poorly though out system brought in by government and very poorly executed by the various unions in the country. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote valie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Jul-2019 at 2:12pm
Originally posted by Lion4ever Lion4ever wrote:

I see things so much different to you guys. I love my country, and my sports teams. So I will still support the Springboks, the Proteas and Bafana Bafana, and every other national sports team. I am fully aware of the problems that plague our teams. I am afraid that, especially in rugby that the administrators, selectors, scouts and coaches have let us all down in making rugby more accessible to everyone. The current quota system is damaging in the long run, because unfortunately even brilliant POC's are seen as quota players, when they would under normal circumstances be chosen because of talent, form and potential. 

A classic example of this is what my brother in law in England thinks of Kagiso Rabada. A fantastic bowler, currently ranked no 4 in the ICC ODI bowling rankings. He cannot be bad if he is ranked no 4. If memory serves me correctly, before the world cup he was ranked 1. Unfortunately he had a bad world cup. However, my brother in law believes there are better bowlers available in SA, simply because of Rabada's ethnicity. That is what the quota system does to players of talent, irrespective of colour. We have some fantastic players across all races. 

The problem is not only the quota system, but coaches selecting players on reputation and provincial bias. Rassie seems to be fixated on WP players. HM was fixated on Bulls or ex Bulls players. We can go right through our coaches from the beginning of Springbok rugby and find that they would always have some sort of provincial bias. 

We should not dump our teams because of some poorly though out system brought in by government and very poorly executed by the various unions in the country. 
I Agree, but merit should be the ONLY criteria for selection, and not colour.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote emiel1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Jul-2019 at 3:08pm
"... I love my country, and my sports teams. So I will still support the Springboks, the Proteas and Bafana Bafana,..." It goes way beyond the sports quota system. Any country that discriminates against me, my family or my children certainly is not "my" country. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WitBoer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Jul-2019 at 3:10pm
I hear what you are saying, but if I continued to support them it would mean that I support the system and not only that, my money would be motivating them to continue to push for more stringent quota targets, but if the goose with the golden eggs, stopped laying golden eggs, the thieves might lose interest....
On Kagiso Rabada, anyone who thinks he is a quota is nuts... He has the talent to be the best SA fast bowler ever. He is still very young and already achieved alot. Confused
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lion4ever Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Jul-2019 at 3:11pm
Originally posted by valie valie wrote:

Originally posted by Lion4ever Lion4ever wrote:

I see things so much different to you guys. I love my country, and my sports teams. So I will still support the Springboks, the Proteas and Bafana Bafana, and every other national sports team. I am fully aware of the problems that plague our teams. I am afraid that, especially in rugby that the administrators, selectors, scouts and coaches have let us all down in making rugby more accessible to everyone. The current quota system is damaging in the long run, because unfortunately even brilliant POC's are seen as quota players, when they would under normal circumstances be chosen because of talent, form and potential. 

A classic example of this is what my brother in law in England thinks of Kagiso Rabada. A fantastic bowler, currently ranked no 4 in the ICC ODI bowling rankings. He cannot be bad if he is ranked no 4. If memory serves me correctly, before the world cup he was ranked 1. Unfortunately he had a bad world cup. However, my brother in law believes there are better bowlers available in SA, simply because of Rabada's ethnicity. That is what the quota system does to players of talent, irrespective of colour. We have some fantastic players across all races. 

The problem is not only the quota system, but coaches selecting players on reputation and provincial bias. Rassie seems to be fixated on WP players. HM was fixated on Bulls or ex Bulls players. We can go right through our coaches from the beginning of Springbok rugby and find that they would always have some sort of provincial bias. 

We should not dump our teams because of some poorly though out system brought in by government and very poorly executed by the various unions in the country. 
I Agree, but merit should be the ONLY criteria for selection, and not colour.
If transformation was implemented correctly at school level (taking rugby into townships and providing decent facilities and training in township schools) quotas would not be necessary, because the cream would rise to the top and the pool of players to choose from would naturally be bigger, and there would naturally be more POC's than white players. Simple arithmetic. I have seen some seriously talented black kids at school level, but how many of them choose rugby as a career? Or are scouted by provincial scouts?


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