Fate has cast Peter De Villiers into a unique, and frequently unenviable role. His appointment as the first Black coach of the Springboks in 2008 was accompanied by controversy from the getgowhenSouthAfricanRugbyUnion (SARU) President Oregan Hoskins...
More
Fate has cast Peter De Villiers into a unique, and frequently unenviable role. His appointment as the first Black coach of the Springboks in 2008 was accompanied by controversy from the getgowhenSouthAfricanRugbyUnion (SARU) President Oregan Hoskins announced that rugby creden als had “not been the sole mo va on” in deciding to award De Villiers the post. “We have taken into account the issue of transforma on,” Hoskins, flanked by a clearly uncomfortable new coach, was reported as saying at the me. Talk about handing a man a poisoned chalice! Already tasked with taking on what is widelyacknowledged to be one of the most difficult posi ons in world sport De Villiers was thus immediately presented with the addi onal, and rather substan al, challenge of winning over the trust and confidence of a (largely White) rugby public who, unconvinced by the man to begin with, felt their misgivings had been confirmedbyHoskins'statement. “What should have been one of the greatest days in my life ended up f
Less
