MARK KEOHANE hails the significance of John Plumtree’s selection of 10 players of colour in the Sharks starting XV, with five more on the bench, in a Vodacom URC clash.
The Sharks beat Glasgow Warriors in round 5 of the URC at Kings Park on Saturday. Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane notes that while head coach Plumtree likely based his picks on merit, the racial composition of the team is historic.
It marked the first time in South African rugby’s professional era that such a diverse team has been fielded.
Keohane contrasts this achievement with the past, recalling how, in 2000, SA rugby was far from transformed. At the time, then-Springbok coach Harry Viljoen struggled with limited representation of players of colour, with only three such players in all four Super Rugby squads.
He reflects on the progress made since then, acknowledging that while transformation was long overdue, the Sharks’ current squad symbolises a rugby landscape that now better reflects South Africa’s diversity.
Keohane celebrates the inclusive environment fostered by teams like the Sharks and DHL Stormers, attributing much of this shift to the leadership of players like Siya Kolisi. He sees this moment as a testament to the inclusive future of the sport in the Republic.
“The rugby chant out of Kwazulu-Natal has always been one of ‘we are black; we are white; we are dynamite’. It was in reference to the black and white jersey won by the old Natal and reinforced by the professional era Sharks. Now the chant finally has relevance – and it is glorious,” Keohane writes.
“When I think of South African rugby at its healthiest, in terms of being the game for – and of – the people of our wonderful country, I think of Siya Kolisi and Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks that played England at Ellis Park in 2018, of John Dobson’s Stormers that won the inaugural URC title, of our U21s, U18s, Women’s teams and of our national sevens teams.
“Kolisi’s influence on the popularity of rugby in South Africa can never be overstated, but the changing face of South African rugby extends beyond the Bok captain and is amplified by the likes of the Sharks and Stormers in creating an environment and opportunity for all players in this country.