The Springboks will not be visiting Xhosa King Zwelonke Sigcawu next week, their manager Zola Yeye said on Friday.
“It will be impossible for us to go. The boys have been on the road for three months and they start training for Wales next week,” said Yeye.
SAPA reports that this comes after the Xhosa Royal Council announced that the Springboks would be visiting King Zwelonke Sigcawu at his royal palace in Nqadu near Willowvale in the Eastern Cape.
“His Majesty will host the team at his Nqadu Royal Palace on Wednesday,” said the Council’s Zolani Mkiva.
According to Mkiva the king would host the Springboks so as to conduct a cultural ceremony in honour of their 2007 Rugby World Cup win.
“We are going to honour them in the most royal African way. We plan to honour them in a very special way,” he said.
Yeye said the team would start training for their match against Wales in Cardiff next week.
“We appreciate the gesture but our schedule is too tight,” said Yeye.
November 10th, 2007 at 8:28 am
Why not host them after the successful EOY tour…
November 10th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Thank heavens there is not enough time to fit the visit in. I think that a lot of damage to the Boks image would have been done had they attended a ceremony where there were animals slaughtered in the traditional way, as reported in the press.
November 10th, 2007 at 10:32 am
I am surprised that no-one picked up on the following that appeared on SABC News last night (for me, probably the biggest news since winning the World Cup):
“New changes in pipeline for SA Rugby structures
November 09, 2007, 14:00
Rugby structures in South Africa are set to change with the control of the game to come under one unified body again.
Talks are at an advanced stage to merge the SA Rugby Union and its commercial and professional arm, SA Rugby.
One of the reasons for the merger is tax related. Saru vice president Koos Basson, says SA Rugby had an agreement with the Receiver of Revenue that it will not be taxed as a commercial company, provided that the major portion of its funds were paid to Saru.
Basson says the Receiver of Revenue has decided to scrap this agreement and all the funds will now have to be transferred to Saru.”
For Tax reasons…. nonsense!
What is going to happen to SA Rugby’s commercial interests? What is going to happen to the Presidents’ Council? In discarding the Van Rooyen structures, are they going back to the Oberhlzer structures? Why now suddenly?
I also thik SA Rugby/SARU engaged the services of an image consultant in the last couple of weeks. For one, that could be the reason why this news is treated in such a low key manner – not even a media release.
On the other hand, anyone noticed how SA Rugby/SARU is suddenly pushing forward the likes of Koos Basson, Jannie Ferreira, Harold Verster, Jonathan Stones and Johan Prinsloo? – these guys are suddenly doing all the TV interviews.
And they are being presented as “one of us – the people” – Koos Basson yesterday interviewed in the comfort of his home whilst reading the daily newspaper!?
I mean, really!
Don’t mind me – jusy thinking out aloud…
November 10th, 2007 at 11:00 am
…still thinking….
Prinsloo interviewed in his office with a trademark Quentin Tarrentino camera angle over his shoulder focussing on the documents in front of him as he nonchalantly goes about his “normal, like us” daily routine…
Verster and Ferreira trying to justify PC decisions and “the real reason why Jake is not part of the process anymore” with really nice soft camera angles that will make a Bulldog look like a cute little worshondjie….
With Mbeki and other politicians saying all these positive things does it mean that these guys suddenly think the time is right again for a white SA Rugby President…?
To oppose Mike “Stofstorm” Stofile in the fortcoming elections…?
November 10th, 2007 at 11:51 am
…still thinking….
What then about the Unions? Will they follow Big Brother – again – and merge their own commercial – and amateur arms as well?
At what costs?
Surely the same tax regulations must apply to them as well?
What will then happen to all the spiderweb shareholdings in the Unions’ and SA Rugby commercial arms?
November 10th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Keep going…
November 10th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
…still thinking….
So, the same ones who will have to disband their own Board of Directors (as there will mos not be any Pty(Ltd) anymore…) will have to carve out a new structure for themselves in the Union(s) of which they, in any case, are the only members… very constitutional especially in terms of their own nightmarish constitution…!!??
In the process getting rid of two black women with no rugby ties they elected themselves onto the Board?
For whom they will not be able to find new positions in the merged Union…
Or, in the light of recent positive remarks by Mbeki and other politicians, will it not be necessary for window dressing at Newland anymore…?
November 10th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
…still thinking….
So, all the money will have to be “redistributed” to all the Unions…
To use for what… transformation?
With their current track records…?
Redistributed in which proportions. 1 for A, 1 for me, 1 for B, one for me, 1 for C, 1 for me, 1 for D, 1 for me….?
November 10th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
…tiresome thinking this….
Funny how things changed in three weeks since winning the World Cup…?
Also for those who refused to congratulate…?
November 10th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
…aftershock….
So, with no more Board of Directors, all matters pertaining to rugby in South Africa, will, eventually, be in the hands of 14 gentlemen….
Of which, amongst them, are a couple of Groot Geeste whom are now, individually, being portrayed into our living rooms as “one of us”…
November 10th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
I don’t agree.
An audience with one of our two most powerful Kings would have had immense significance.
Not only is it an privilege to be granted an audience with King Zwelonke Sigcawu, one of the most influential persons in this land, but it would have increased the credibility of the sport in precisely the rural areas we need to target for talent.
The king is a-political and I think Yeye, Stofile and Komphela have stuffed up again.
I smell a conspiracy. It just wouldn’t do for a King to overshadow a President, and this would have been the case in the rural areas where the King is revered.
Damn it, Madiba explained the role of a king so well in his book.
A bunch of young, healthy, multi-ethnic young men who brought home the 1st prize meeting with him – a PR’s wet dream for sure.