Zimboks show up SA hypocrisy

Posted in Springboks, Super 14 by keo www.keo.co.za

The inclusion of three Zimbabwean players in the Springboks is to be applauded. But it also means South Africans can no longer point a finger at New Zealand’s supposed reliance on the Pacific Islands to produce All Blacks.

There can’t be double standards applied to this one. The perception, ignorantly presented as fact, is that New Zealand cashes in on talent from Samoa, Tonga and Fiji and rapes the Islands of their senior players. Absolute nonsense, but that’s never stopped any critic outside of New Zealand having a go at the Kiwis.

If you want the definitive argument about that one with all the players dates of birth and places of birth then mail Kiwi rugby writer Jim Kayes at the Dominion Post. He did a fantastic piece during the World Cup showing the ignorance of that argument and proving more New Zealand born players with Pacific Islander heritage represented the Island teams at the World Cup than Pacific Island born players who represented the All Blacks.

Most of the Pacific Island All Blacks were born or schooled in New Zealand. Only a handful were poached at an advanced stage.

When the Bok selectors picked three Zimbabweans who only arrived in South Africa at an advanced stage there hasn’t so much as been a whisper.

I say pick the best if they are in your country and eligible. I don’t agree with the IRB regulation that a player can only play for one country. What for example of a 21 year-old who played one test but relocates to another country and settles there. There is a case to be argued for restraint of trade if that country wants to pick him and the country he played a test for doesn’t. It is a case that will still happen.

There is so much ignorance relative to heritage and place of birth. Jonah Lomu, as an example is called Tongan, but he was born in South Auckland.

Frank Bunce is an example of a bloke who played for Samoa because his grandmother was Samoan but he was all Kiwi from birth until when he made his Samoan debut. To use these examples is the same as implying Bob Skinstad (born in Zimbabwe but moved to South Africa as a youngster) and Gary Teichmann (born in Zimbabwe but moved to South Africa as an eight year old) are examples of how South Africa has robbed Zimbabwe of their talent.

The Boks did take Adrian Garvey, who learned all his rugger in Zimbabwe and played for Zimbabwe at the 1991 World Cup, but this is the first mass selection of players who did all the hard yards in Zimbabwe.

Hopefully it will lead to a bit of introspection of the part of the South African punter when having a go at the number of Islanders in the New Zealand side. And the same applies when Australia is attacked for taking the best of Fiji, Tonga or Samoa. As we saw at the last World Cup, the best of those nations are playing for those nations.

When I spent some time with Percy Montgomery at Perpignan I had a chat with Samoan No 8 Henry Tuiligi, who plays for Perpignan. Tuiligi, behind the All Blacks tight five, would be an even bigger monster than he is and when it comes to assessing the best No 8s in the game he would always be listed on the basis that he plays for the All Blacks. But he plays for Samoa, is not automatically ranked among the best, and doesn’t really care. He has never wanted to play for the All Blacks.

He told me people make their choice, but he grew up in Samoa and his ambition was to wear the blue and not black jersey.

It is a player choice and for the most the guys play for the country in which they were raised. If more thought was given to making Samoa, Tonga and Fiji wealthier in rugby structure and operational terms, the choice would be that much easier for players with Island heritage.

New Zealand Maori Riki Flutey is being tipped to play for England after serving a three year qualification. So too Glen Jackson. Matt Stevens, who left South Africa at 19, is spoken of as if he spent his entire life in the UK.

The point of all of this is if a bloke is eligible, through birth, residency or heritage, then do as the Bok selectors have done with three Zimbabwean players … pick him.