South African trade union Cosatu believes there are players in the Springbok set-up trying to actively hinder the team’s success.

Cosatu said there are Springbok players who are trying to make the more integrated team led by a black coach lose as to mar the idea of transformation.

“Members of the Springboks who had previously approached Cosatu to look into the lack of transformation, have signalled that there is a group of white players who want to see this integrated team and coach fail,” they said via a press release.

“This may be behind the bad performance of some of the players in the last two Tests. We should never underestimate the attitude of some rugby players and supporters, who are not supportive of this Springbok team and this transformation agenda.

“These players who sabotage the performance of the Springboks must be investigated and removed from the Springbok set-up.

The press release stated further that: “The coach must also not relent to the pressures on him; we stand and fall by a representative Springbok team that has all our players included.

“The days of reserving some positions for some white players must be gone forever and we must also not include foreign players any longer. We have enough talent in the country to put together great teams that can win our country the matches.

“The coach must not panic and start ignoring players who are part of the squad for imported players we want to see our squad on the field first before the squad is expanded to include others.

“Cosatu will continue to champion the interests of black players who were excluded for white players who were promised positions from their fathers and the Stellenbosch mafia.

“We want a team that includes all the players in South Africa, both black and white, with no more guarantees for old white players.”

Cosatu also took aim at M-Net who have not provided alternative options for those who do not have a subscription to the service.

“An end to the domination of M-Net of rugby broadcasting and that matches should be shifted to the SABC channels or shown during open time on M-Net, whose monopoly in South Africa is part of the old apartheid linked companies state capture.

“Rugby commentators should reflect the new South Africa and the black commentators defended against M-Net, while the old white commentators should be replaced by younger white commentators, as these old commentators still demonstrate apartheid prejudices.”