RWC SF: England v Springboks
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@OomPB said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
What about the Kiwis who played rugby against the Springboks?
There was plenty of soul-searching going on in NZ at the time,and putting aside the nutters, two genuine schools of thought who knew segregation should be ended: join the boycott to force change from the top or play and show integrated sports teams were the way forward, and support the SA rugby administrators who were trying to change things internally,
There was some serious debate. Colin Meads, for example, very much supported the latter approach but was equally clear he respected, even admired, the views of those who refused to play against SA.
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My old man went on a Welsh Male Voice Choir tour of SA during the apartheid years
He saw a Cavaliers match
The choir sang to white only audiences, black only audiences, and mixed audiences
Each member of the choir was put on the UN Blacklist (ironic isn't it) for performing at the non-segregated concerts
Go figure
They fostered a relationship with a choir from Soweto whom they funded over the years
When apartheid ceased the choir went back over and sang with the Soweto choir at a joint concert in Soweto
And two years later they paid for the Soweto choir to come over to Wales on a singing tour
They've both been back twice since
My father's choir (Cwmbach) also went to Belfast during the height of the troubles and to Hungary as the Russians were heading in
His, and the other choristers, attitude was go to bring people together
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Great post.
I seem to recall Danie Craven being called an apartheid apologist and a traitor to the white race simultaneously - while at the same time working behind the scenes to bring people together, grow non-white rugby and end segregation
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@MiketheSnow Cool post mate.
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@OomPB said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
and by the way, Rob Louw come from Wynberg Boys, Doc Craven identified him as a schoolboy and brought him to Maties to become a Springbok.
My old man was also brought to Wilgenhof by Doc . But only because he was so average he’d never play for Maaties and so be free to turn out for Wilgenhof. Think Louw was already gone but Oom Morne was still at Stellenbosch playing for WO/boks and never playing for Die Plek.
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@Catogrande said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
@OomPB said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
@Smuts so your dad was a Bek fluitjie.
Ref?
Nee - n ou man van Die Plek.*
No - an old boy of Wilgenhof (the Stellenbosch residence run for years by Doc Craven. Notorious for its rugby and lunacy.)
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@Catogrande Doc Craven was head of Wilgenhof , Maties (university Stellenbosch)boarding school for ages. Their nickname was "Bek fluitjies" When students walk/run past Wilgenhof they shout Bek Fluitjies and if get caught its goodbye.
with the help of my son
Harmonica? = bek fluitjie.
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The RFU have put out a statement saying that they are “deeply disappointed with World Rugby’s decision.”
https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/rfu-statement-tom-curry-october-2023
The RFU are effectively accusing World Rugby of not taking racist abuse seriously and not doing due diligence.
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@sparky said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
The RFU have put out a statement saying that they are “deeply disappointed with World Rugby’s decision.”
https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/rfu-statement-tom-curry-october-2023
The RFU are effectively accusing World Rugby of not taking racist abuse seriously and not doing due diligence.
My first thoughts were that WR have handled the whole thing sensibly, but for the RFU to break ranks makes me wonder about due process. Clearly they feel that this has not been given a fair assessment. No idea if they are wrong or right and one assumes they have more intel on this than us punters, but some clarity from WR around the process would help clear things up.
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@Catogrande RFU alleging that Mbonambi is a repeat offender. Ooer
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