Blame-game over Springbok victory tour starts

As organisers of Sunday’s Springbok victory tour to Nelson Mandela Bay rushed to point fingers at one another after a last-minute route deviation deprived thousands of fans from seeing their heroes, EP Rugby tried to find a way of making it up to them.

Bok fans in the northern areas, Rosedale and KwaNobuhle in Uitenhage, and lining the William Moffett Expressway in Port Elizabeth were bitterly disappointed when the players  skipped several scheduled stops due to time constraints.

As the blame-game started — with SA Rugby (Saru) being singled out as the main culprit —  heartbroken fans started a petition asking that the Boks return so that those in the “coloured areas” could also be part of the celebrations.

The petition had garnered more than 2,200 signatures by Monday afternoon.

The EP Rugby Union  (EPRU) said  it had sent three suggestions to Saru in the hope of finding a solution.

EPRU general manager Thando Manana and federation president Andre Rademan were speaking at the franchise’s office on Monday morning shortly after they had been locked out by a contingent led by former ANC MPL Christian Martin, who said those in the northern areas had felt marginalised and forgotten.

Manana said the rugby union would be giving Saru seven days to respond to the issues they had raised regarding the #SpringbokTour.

“They [organising committee] need to pay for the many young dreams that were deferred on Sunday across the township area, northern areas, in particular, and Uitenhage,” he said.

“And we demand a response no later than seven days regarding the areas that were not looked after.

“In Greenacres, the bus just drove past — yet people had been there since 10am waiting for the team to present the trophy and [say] a few words, but that did not happen, the captain was already in Durban and even that was not communicated to us to say the coach and the captain would not finish the tour.

“They could’ve easily said, ‘if you want to see Rassie and Siya be at a certain place at a certain time, because they have to attend the sports awards’.”

Rademan said EPRU would not take any blame for the Boks’ missed stops, with the department of sport and Nelson Mandela Bay sports director Charmaine Williams the ones who should be held responsible.

He said EPRU had suggested that the SA Rugby Union rerun the Bay tour, but Saru had immediately dismissed this, saying it was not possible.

Alternatives suggested by EPRU were that the Boks  be brought to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium with the fans bused in to see them, or for the Boks to tour the areas that were missed when they play  their next Test match in the city.

Meanwhile, Paul Volanie, who started the petition, entitled “Springboks a big no-show in the coloured communities within Nelson Mandela Bay”,  wrote: “Today we as the people of the communities in the Nelson Mandela Bay area, especially the coloured areas, feel that we were robbed by a big no-show by the Springboks, our World Champions.

“We came out in the masses today in the Uitenhage area, particularly the Acacia Street/Kamesh Street intersections.

“We were at least 3,000 to welcome our heroes, our children were standing in the rain and cold to embrace their heroes ... the northern areas did the same and waited along Stanford Road area and scheduled routes in the thousands.

“We waited hours on end for nothing.

“With this petition, we humbly urge Saru to organise another tour where [people in] these areas were waiting for hours and hours.” 

Nathalie Pieterse wrote: “I saw a lady in a wheelchair in the cold and rainy weather came out in support of the Boks, but they were a no-show.

“How many hearts were broken today? So many kids in our community needed this positive and wonderful sight but their hopes and dreams were shattered.”

Marisca Hoffman, who also signed the petition, said: “It broke my heart seeing the old people who came out in this weather to see the Boks and parents comforting their young ones who didn’t understand why they were not  coming.”

Rademan said EPRU would try to get a commitment in writing from Saru on how they would appease the Bay’s disheartened Bok fans.

 “SA will have a Test match here in the metro and I want Saru to know now already that the moment they land they need to visit the northern areas, Kamesh and KwaNobuhle,” Rademan said.

Saru  spokesperson Rayaan Adriaanse pointed The Herald to the social media apology but did not respond to further requests for comment on EPRU’s suggestions or the fans’ petition.

Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani said the outcry by Bay residents had been noted.

“This afternoon, a delegation led by former ANC MPL Christian Martin, representing the northern areas and the Khoi-San community, came to my office to raise their concerns and fears of marginalisation,” he said.

“Our municipal Facebook page was filled with sad stories of terminally ill people, of children and people from all walks of life who had to return home disappointed due to a last-minute route change.

“I was assured by municipal officials that they did not make the call for this to happen and that all the relevant stakeholders played a role during the planning stages of the event.

“I further noticed an apology from the Springboks that was widely circulated on social media following the changes on Sunday.

“I am in the process of writing a letter to  Saru to amplify the impact of the outcry and for them to consider the disappointment of the residents who lined streets in Uitenhage, the northern areas, and William Moffett but had to return home disappointed and dejected.

“I will instruct officials to communicate the feedback from Saru in due course as they are the only authority that can remedy this matter.”