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Media welcomes De Villiers pick
10/01/2008 12:28 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The appointment of the first ever black Springbok coach was welcomed as the start of a new era by the South African media on Thursday but with a warning not to expect Peter de Villiers to effect an instant transformation of the Rugby World Cup holders' racial make-up.
De Villiers, who had been coaching the Under-21 side, was the surprise choice of the South African Rugby Union (Saru) on Wednesday to succeed Jake White as coach of a team that has been dominated by white players.
While many papers picked up on De Villiers's lack of experience coaching in the Super 14, his record in charge of junior Bok teams also commanded respect.
"With his background in the age group teams De Villiers will have no problems in identifying black talent and he has stated recently that black players are being under-utilised," said The Star newspaper.
However the paper warned that the chances of more black players breaking into the starting line-up under De Villiers were partly dependent on whether they were picked by their coaches at club level.
"He will probably experience the same problem that has dogged every Springbok coach in the professional era and will have to hope that provincial coaches pick more black players in the Super 14 and Currie Cup to give him a greater base to chose from," said the paper.
Heyneke Meyer, former coach of the Bulls, had been the favourite but the Die Burger paper said it was understandable Saru had not chosen the only white candidate on a four-man shortlist and welcomed De Villiers's assertion that he would pick teams on merit rather than colour.
"It is heartening that De Villiers has stressed he would choose the squad on merit and form. This is a healthy approach," it said in an editorial.
"The decision of Saru's presidents' council to appoint De Villiers ahead of the favourite, Heyneke Meyer, was a wise one in the current climate of South African rugby. Despite South Africa becoming the world champions in 2007, the political pressure to transform rugby is enormous."
Saru has been under heavy pressure from the African National Congress government over its failure to pick more black players, with whites accounting for 13 of the players to start in October's World Cup final against England.
Butana Komphela, an ANC lawmaker who heads parliament's sports committee, has been a particularly outspoken critic of Saru but he was happy with the appointment.
"Rugby is now showing it is an agent for change and can unite people around the Springboks," he told Die Burger.
Business Day echoed the feeling that the appointment signalled a new dawn in South African rugby.
"His appointment symbolises a new era in south African rugby as Saru continues to fight for true transformation in the sport," it wrote.
"The appointment seems to be the first step in the process to achieve proper transformation before the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, especially given De Villiers's impressive transformation statistics at junior level.
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