Rugby in South Africa: where is the love?

Rugby in South Africa is at war with itself and it is tearing the game apart.

Given that the game of rugby is intended to bind us South Africans, be we rich or poor, or black or white, and to develop fine sportsman that become role models in the community, it is most uncomfortable to see revealed, our fellow rugby supporters churn out hatred and revulsion against each other.

History and relationships are being shredded and the future looks bleak.

No longer can one look at a rugby fixture list and say that, “Oh we will look forward to this Test, that club match, this school clash or provincial game”. Rugby, as a sport, has become ingrained into the psyche of South Africans; whether you play it or not, you are most certainly aware of it. Well, the hardcore rugby supporters and fans as the inner circle and then the casual spectators and rugby socialites on the periphery.

It is said that only the New Zealanders as a nation beat South Africa for their knowledge of the game, from taxi drivers to waiters in restaurants. Somehow or other they have removed social and political boundaries in the game in New Zealand for the All Blacks, which is why this unity ups their performance on the field.

Whether you are comfortable in front of the screen, at home on your own, watching your preferred game, or whether you are part of an 80 000 throng, alongside friend and foe, your rugby experience for the up coming 80 minutes probably started in anticipation a few weeks or days before that moment.

As a player it is the tearing sound of Elastoplast strapping and the smell of Vicks and wintergreen that triggers all sorts of emotional responses.

But the love for the game has to go the extra mile in South Africa, to overcome these divisions, so we should exercise a little tolerance and give a little love and engage each other off the field to arrive at a commonality and strive for competitiveness on the field.

The words of the Black-Eyed Peas smacks home a few truths of the lyrics of their song, Where is the Love?

But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And if you hatin you’re bound to get irate
Yeah madness is what you demonstrate
And that’s exactly how anger works and operates
You gotta have love just to set it straight

Let’s get it straight in rugby in South Africa.

I love it that the Sharks will win on Saturday, but most of all I love the passion that the Bulls and Sharks fans have for their team.