OFF-FIELD ISSUES MUST BE ADDRESSED
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, and the many controversies surrounding him, will be very high on the ‘to-do’ list of new South African Rugby Union Chief Executive, Jurie Roux.
Jan de Koning, Rugby365
SARU President Oregan Hoskins admitted that the union’s tarnished image, following a series of public spats with the IRB and other world bodies, along with issues surrounding the Bok coach, would fall within Roux’s ambit.
Speaking to rugby365.com, after the announcement of Roux’s appointment in Cape Town on Friday, Hoskins said Roux would be in charge of “everything”.
That includes the underfire Bok coach, De Villiers, who is in hot water with SANZAR over his recent media outbursts.
“The new CEO doesn’t have a specific delegation of duties,” Hoskins said. “He is in charge of everything. There isn’t an issue he will not be in charge of.
“He has to take ownership of every single issue in South African rugby and the national coach is certainly one of is duties as well,” added the SARU President.
Although Hoskins declined to comment on the pending disciplinary action against the national coach, because it is “sub judice”, he admitted they would afford the Bok coach all the help he needs to move forward.
Asked about SA Rugby’s poor image abroad, Hoskins said there were many positives as well.
In the past 12 months SARU, and the national team, were fined a substantial amount by the IRB over their armband protest in 2009; they fell foul of Premier Rugby, who reported them to the IRB over the Butch James saga; several senior players have been banned for foul play in recent weeks and now the Bok coach is facing disciplinary action.
Hoskins admitted it is of some concern and it would be addressed by Roux. “I would think he would regard that as one of his top priorities,” Hoskins told rugby365.com.
Although he felt that there were enough positives as well in the last few years, he admitted there were areas that needed to be addressed.
“We are certainly going through a bad patch with our results in the last three games, but that is something that does happen in rugby,” the SARU President said, adding: “You cannot always win a game and we are hoping to turn that result around on August 21 at Soccer City [against the All Blacks].”
Asked about the many off-field issues that have had SA rugby in the headlines over the past 12 months, he admitted it was something that needed to be addressed.
“Those issues are certainly more negative, but we’ve had lots of positive issues as well,” he said.
“We’ve had a lot of our top sponsorships that have been secured.
“We’ve had a lot of positives that have also been happening around South African rugby and we are quite happy to take the positives as well.”
Asked if he was concerned that after the highs of 2009 – where South Africa had almost every international title on offer to them, including the Tri-Nations, a series win over the B&I Lions and the World Sevens title – that SA had fallen dramatically down the pecking order, he said the results of 2006 (under Jake White) were “far worse”.
“However, we are certainly taking stock of the fact that we lost our last three games,” Hoskins said, “we want to turn that around and start winning again.”
The SARU President was also asked about the Bok coach’s poor track record with the media and a number of public spats, not to mention strange utterances, that have cast a shadow over the good name of the national team.
“We are dealing with that with Peter, we are dealing with it in-house,” Hoskins said, when quizzed about De Villiers’s declining relationship with the media.
Asked if the recent poor results adds more pressure on the Bok coach, he replied: “It should not.”
Hoskins added: “It [the recent run of defeats] is an issue we are aware of and we are dealing with it.
“We had a meeting with him yesterday [Thursday] and we are going to have a review.
“I believe that is going to be helpful to him and to our team and it is the right thing to do.”
Asked if there would be any assistance for De Villiers to call upon – in terms of all the controversies surrounding the coach and the national team – Hoskins said that was also an issue they were dealing with.
“We will certainly request of him whether he needs assistance, and we will certainly offer it to him when we do our review with him.”
July 31st, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Sorry, but no matter how
sympathetic your are for
the man, no matter his
capabilities or successes
as a coach, no matter how
funny he can be:
This man is making South
Africa the laughing stock
of the rugby world.
It’s there for everybody
to see – no matter how
much denial there is.
August 1st, 2010 at 4:36 pm
If the president did all he had to, they wouldn’t need a CEO to pull things straight.
August 1st, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 10:19 pm:
Sorry, cannot agree.
He is outspoken, thats about it.
If you are happy with the normal cliched bullshit all national (or any) coach gives media then he will shock you, I find it refreshing, and I can only go back to Dawie’s article that it is about time he is backed for what he says, because he AT LEAST says what all of us thinks.
August 1st, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Reply to Morné @ 6:54 pm:
Look at what is being written
and said about the man – here
and abroad.
Sanzar is having a hearing
with him, Saru has to call
him in for reprimands.
Sorry, but he is an embarassment
to SA rugby, world rugby and
himself.
There are things like tact and
diplomacy, even when you say
what you think.
August 1st, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 7:00 pm:
The power of what is written is in the one holding the pen Boertjie.
He is a very easy and convenient escape or excuse for some.
Tact and diplomacy is also best left to politicians and bullshitters, because that is exactly what ‘tact’ means. If you want a bullshitter for a coach be my guest.
The guy is not supposed to be a politician and win over ‘votes’ of both fans and media, for once, we are hearing the thoughts of a coach and not some bullshitting politician looking to keep his job at all costs.
August 1st, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Let’s agree to disagree.
Is he achieving anything,
other than making an ass
of himself and the Boks?
I don’t back a man that
makes me cringe when he
opens his mouth.
It is obvious that SARU
holds the same values.
August 1st, 2010 at 7:23 pm
I’m out!
August 1st, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Morne,
I have allways been a fan of PdV, I rate him as a coach, and do not want to see him fired, but let’s be honest. He is the national coach, what he says and does reflects on the country. Currently he is making an ass of our rugby.
As a national coach, or even primary school for that matter, it is your job to keep your players focused on the job at hand. How do you do that by making comments about refs, etc. The coach has to keep his mouth shut, if there is a problem, adress it via the correct channels. The media is not that channel, and make sure of your facts, cos it seems as though maybe the refs were not the main reason we lost.
When you play the ball on the front foot, you seem to get more calls going your way, than when you play pitifull rugby. We need Pieter to step up to the plate and make some tough calls. He needs to stop speaking and start coaching, IMO.
August 1st, 2010 at 7:34 pm
No doubt he is speaking his mind, and what it says about his mind is that it is rather limited.
Stupid, outrageous and nonsensical utterances are just that and not a breath of fresh air.
August 1st, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Hehe, like allways fyndraai, you speak your mind more effectivaly than I can in British. Utter crap he spews out, I am very dissapointed in Pieter.
August 1st, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Reply to Morné @ 7:04 pm:
We did not appoint him to be diplomatic or tactful
In fact if one looks back at the remarks made on occasion by Eddie Jones and Clive Woodward and Graham Henry one would have to say they are totally tactless when it suits them… Henry’s gloating remarks about the Boks not being able to play “the modern game” after the two test debacle can hardly be described as tactful and diplomatic.
In any case Boertjie I have already pointed out pretty authoritively that in this game tact and diplomacy and guile and following the little boys club rules are useless if you’re a South African…. I know you think writing pleasant letters or going hand in hat to stand beside Baas Paddy and friends is the way to go but the truth is SCREW them…
They are no longer entitled to that
The fact is unless someone steps up to the plate and takes the boys club apart the quicker the death of rugby, like the agonizing death of international cricket…. can be averted…
August 1st, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Reply to Aldo @ 7:27 pm:
WTF ecxactly has he said this season that is so outrageous and embarrasses our country Aldo?
August 1st, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 8:18 pm:
Henry’s gloating remarks about the Boks not being able to play “the modern game”
=====
Which is there for everybody
to see. Or do you disagree?
August 1st, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Ek was in my jeug ook ‘n
Don Kwijote wat windpompe
saam met Sancho Panza
bestorm het – soos wat jy
nou wil doen.
Glo my, dit werk nie. Daar
is instellings en prosedures
in die lewe.
Veral as jy aan die verloorkant
is sê jy so min as moontlik in
die openbaar.
August 1st, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Read this together:
The SANZAR hearing of Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is a “declaration of war by Australia and New Zealand against South Africa”.
That is the view of South African rugby bosses, who are rallying behind the beleaguered coach. They have questioned the Aussies and Kiwis’ motives.
“We are right behind Peter and will defend him to the hilt,” said SARU president Oregan Hoskins.
Together with:
Hoskins confirmed that De Villiers had promised in an “informal discussion” . . . that he would not make anymore controversial remarks about referees.
De Villiers will shortly have to appear in a SANZAR hearing about comments made on Australian television after the Boks’ two recent defeats against the All Blacks.
DOES IT MAKE SENSE?
The only war declaration SARU
must make is against the shit
selections and playing style
that has become a trade mark
of the Springboks.
Kiwi thinks:
“Poor sods, they can’t play
the game any more and now they
are blaming everybody but
themselves.”
Saru may have half a valid point if
they ask why the Boks are getting
NH refs and the OZmob and Kiwis are
getting SH refs – also because only
the Sanzar refs have apparently
bought into the new interpretations.
But then we all know that that is
but a minor factor in the way we
were out-thought, out-paced and
out-played.
And both teams are reffed by the
same guy.
August 1st, 2010 at 9:45 pm
I am too much of a patriot so my natural reaction is to say FOK SANZAR.
Peter is OUR idiot so leave him the fuck alone.
The rest of the pompous rugby world has never understood our culture and is no doubt envious of our results. We are afterall African and supposed to be a fuck up.
But no, we have this funny brown monkey with a mustache that dares coach a great team and speak his mind.
Our planning around this team is not good. Our game plan sucks. But Peter is not even in the top 10 of what we currently lack – bar perhaps his issue with Steyn.
August 1st, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Reply to Brendon Shields @ 9:45 pm:
I am too much of a patriot so my natural reaction is to say FOK SANZAR.
====
Then stop handing them the ammo
to fook us.
Oh, and playing decent rugby will
also help.
August 1st, 2010 at 11:01 pm
I really dop not give a rats arsh about PDV, SANZAR or SA Rugby, let them call each other what they want, let PDV say what he wants, our name to the outside world is kak in anycase he does not do more damage to our country than the President with all his wifes and the others in our country.
All I freaking care about is that the boks need to sort out there shit.
Fix this shit and get on with it, we have a WC to win next year.
August 2nd, 2010 at 12:10 am
Boks have spent good amount fo time cleaning up its act.
We got a well spoken articulate captain. We won cups. We behaved like gentleman during the World Cup etc, but its as if nothing is ever good enough?
They WANT to see us as the rogues of World Rugby and they will lie and fabricate and do whatever to ensure that label sticks.
Yes we are playing kak and yes Peter is not a diplomat etc but hell where do we draw the line and say “fuck these okes?”
Do we need to pussyfoot around the world and lose some games before we will be liked?
Yes sort out the foul play because we are stereotyped, and to overcome this we need to be squeaky clean – but thats it. We simple cannot bend anymore – or risk becoming like New Zealand, which by the day behaves more and more like Australia.
Lets be ourselves first and foremost.
August 2nd, 2010 at 3:28 am
Reply to fyndraai @ 7:34 pm:
Could not agree more… nice an succinct…
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:17 am
OK, let’s see what has
happened since TN 2009:
EOYT:
►Gets snotted by two
weakened club sides.
►Gets snotted by the Frogs
and the Oirish.
►Beats Italy not very convincingly.
►Weird selections come to the fore.
2010
►Struggles against Wales.
►Snot the Frogs, who then
loses with a record score
against the Pumas.
►Struggle against the Pastas.
►Snot the Pastas, who BTW has
only ever won 3(?) 6N tests.
►Humiliated by the All Blacks.
►Humiliated by the All Blacks.
►Humiliated by the OZmob, who
in turns gets snotted by the
All Blacks.
►More weird selections and
combinations.
Let the facts speak for themselves.
Hide your heads in the sand if it
makes you feel better.
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:21 am
Reply to DavidS @ 8:18 pm:
Ok, seriously now, what has happened while I was on leave?
I know I am not in the twilight zone, so what gives?
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:27 am
Reply to Ollie @ 11:21 am:
I think he had his piles removed.
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:34 am
Reply to Ollie @ 11:21 am:
It’s the old ‘only I and not NZAR are permitted to slag off RSA sport/officials etc’ hop-scotch…
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:37 am
Reply to Boertjie @ 11:27 am:
Hehehehehe
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 11:34 am:
Got it
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:47 am
So is Hoskins or Roux top of the SARU food chain?
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:49 am
Reply to manvanstaal @ 11:47 am:
Good question. Looks almost like Roux is being setup for a long fall. A hoskins parachute is you will.
August 2nd, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Methinks snor wiill not be the first in the sights of Jurie’s Glock
Methinks Andy Marinos had better start updating ye olde ceevee
Acting MD
Ja
Soon he’ll be acting jobless too
Jurie has a bit of a rep for “pruning” kak and rumour has it that he and Jurie have a bit of a history that means that Andy is probably looking for a new job soon enough… probably as WP spokesman
August 2nd, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 8:23 pm:
I think I have made it patently clear that I do not think there is anything wrong with the gameplan… just its execution…
The idea is an invention and fantasy of the Kiwi media. aptly supported by those journalistic doyens of rugby analysis Peter Bills and Spiro Zavos
August 2nd, 2010 at 1:06 pm
And some extremely stupid sheep in this country too
August 2nd, 2010 at 1:28 pm
On another note: Someone asked what Luke tWatson is doing and how he is doing…
He has just been made CAPTAIN of Bath for the GP season!
August 2nd, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Reply to JT @ 1:28 pm:
Now watch them come apart