Ireland’s chances may just have been increased by a ton.
Whatever about a game being decided on the pitch, legal action this week might prevent any action on the playing fields for South Africa at the forthcoming Rugby World Cup.
A political party in the former apartheid state is taking the country’s rugby federation to court, claiming that the national rugby squad has not complied with rules on ‘transformation’
The ‘Agency for New Agenda’ is looking to a court to make an order that all South Africa players and officials surrender their travel documents so they could not travel to London for the upcoming event.
The development comes after the Sprinkboks announced their World Cup squad on Friday with nine black players included in the travelling party by head coach Heyneke Meyer.
According to current rules, 30% of any Springboks squad now needs to be black, and Mayer’s selection meets that requirement.
The action will be heard early this week while it’s believed that the ANA have also called on the WRU to take action on the lack of black players in the South African squad.
However the head coach has been a vote of confidence by the country’s highest profile black player Bryan Habana. Her has backed Meyer’s squad and is totally opposed to the Ana’s action.
“This is unfortunately something that is always going to be a part of South African rugby.”
“I’m fully behind Heyneke’s standing in the situation and wanting to make this World Cup a successful one for South Africa.”
“I hope as players we can play our part in making his job a little bit easier. Having won the World Cup in 2007, I know that when we are successful we unite the nation.”
