EP rugby fully behind quotas, says Cheeky

KINGS rugby boss Cheeky Watson says the Eastern Cape is the cradle of black rugby in South Africa and that his union is fully committed to the new quota plans that have been outlined by South African rugby chiefs.

Watson was speaking after SA Rugby announced that half of the Springboks' squad would have to be players of colour by 2019, and that 60% of that number would be required to be black Africans.

The plans will see a comprehensive overhaul of the current structure with the Springboks, Blitzboks, Junior Boks all affected, as well as teams in the Vodacom Cup, Currie Cup and Super Rugby tournaments.

The target is for all representative teams to contain 50% players of colour within five years but Heyneke Meyer will be restricted as early as next year's World Cup by a requirement to select a side featuring at least five black players.

According to the reports, the Saru executive council drew up the plans this year in the wake of heavy criticism from Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and the Department of Sport over the lack of transformation in the make-up of the Springboks' side.

Meyer will be encouraged to ensure there are at least seven players of colour in Springbok matchday squads, while SA Sevens' coach Neil Powell will be expected to carry out a strict 40% non-white quota and Dawie Theron's Junior Boks have to contain at least 12 players of colour in his squad of 28 for the World Junior Championship.

There are four black players in the EP Kings team to play the Blue Bulls at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium tomorrow and one coloured player.

The black players are Lizo Gqoboka, Edgar Marutlulle, Siviwe "Shakes" Soyizwapi and Ntabeni Dukisa. The coloured player is scrumhalf Kevin Luiters.

"In terms of feasibility, the Eastern Cape has always been seen as the cradle of black rugby in South Africa and it is a well-known fact that the majority of professional black players nationally stem from the region," Watson said.

"The Eastern Province Rugby Union has always been committed to transformation and has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to improve the structures that will assist young, talented black players to come through the ranks and join the professional rugby structures.

Long before the issue of representation and transformation was raised by the national body, EPRU has been working on addressing the challenges of getting players of colour into professional rugby," Watson said.

Watson listed some of the successes of transformation in the region.

Kings Academy

• Establishment of EP Kings Academy in November 2010 to identify and develop rugby talent from the region, with strong focus on transformation.

•  Presently, 65% of Academy squad are players of colour.

• 2016 target: academy squad to fit the rugby demographics of the region.

• Since November 2010 the Kings Academy has developed 23 full-time black professional rugby players that were born in the Eastern Cape.

• Directly involved in the Township Junior Rugby Development Programme (TJRDP), which has focused on reviving rugby in the Nelson Mandela Bay townships through capacity building, upskilling and league creation.

Vodacom Cup 2014

• Introduced player identification from club level, wherein players were invited to trials for Vodacom Cup squad. Approximately 95% of EP club players are players of colour.

• 2014 Vodacom Cup squad consisted of 19 African males, eight coloured males and 30 white males.

• When looking at the starting lineup for Vodacom Cup, the average ratio was 46% white players to 54% players of colour.

• U19 Currie Cup 2014: current squad consists of eight Africans, three coloureds and 17 whites.

• U21 Currie Cup 2013: last year, the EP U21 side did not field less than 11 players of colour in a game, with a minimum of seven starting.

• EP U21 v Griffons: 15 of the 22 were players of colour with six starting forwards and five starting backs.

• The Township Junior Rugby Development Programme is an initiative started by the EPRU in partnership with the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and the Kings Academy.

• The TJRDP is focused on reviving rugby in the Nelson Mandela Bay townships through capacity building, upskilling and league creation.

• The programme will provide a much needed vehicle for talent identification of young, up- and-coming players of colour from disadvantaged areas, which can be channelled into professional rugby structures via the Kings Academy.

Watson said there were a number of challenges within the rugby structures that impacted on the progression of players of colour from school level to professional level.

"Often players of colour from the Eastern Cape have been offered contracts to play for other unions, which has resulted in them being taken away from their families and other support structures, resulting in them not performing as well as they could.

"It is for this reason that EP Rugby has been fighting for Super Rugby status, as this will allow local talent to stay home, close to their support structures," Watson said.

"A player will always be chosen on merit. The challenge is provide the necessary structures to allow talented players of colour to come through the systems and be able to compete on the same level.

"Representation at management level is definitely a key target for the union. As part of our academy there has also been a strong focus on skills transfer with players of colour who have come to the end of their playing careers and to upskill them to become involved in coaching structures.

"These include the likes of Mzwandile Stick, who was head coach for the Vodacom Cup and currently holds the position of head coach for the EP Kings U19s. Others include Tiger Mangweni and Wayne van Heerden, both of whom are involved in the coaching structures," Watson said. - George Byron