South Africa

Springboks quota system to be introduced by 2019

ESPN Staff

South Africa's Tendai Mtawawira on duty © Getty Images Enlarge

Half of the Springboks' squad will have to be players of colour by 2019, according to transformation plans revealed in South African Sunday newspaper Rapport. In addition, 60% of that number will be required to be black African.

The plans will see a comprehensive overhaul of the current structure with the Springboks, Blitzboks, Junior Boks all affected, as well as teams in the Vodacom Cup, Currie Cup and Super Rugby tournaments. The target is for all representative teams to contain 50% players of colour within five years but Heyneke Meyer will be restricted as early as next year's World Cup by a requirement to select a side featuring at least five black players.Tendai Mtawarira was the only black African to start in their loss to Australia at the weekend.

According to the reports, the SARU executive council drew up the plans this year in the wake of heavy criticism from Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and the Department of Sport over the lack of transformation in the make up of the Springboks' side.

Meyer will be encouraged to ensure there are at least seven players of colour in Springbok matchday squads, while SA Sevens' coach Neil Powell will be expected to carry out to a strict 40% non-white quota and Dawie Theron's Junior Boks have to contain at least 12 players of colour in his squad of 28 for the 2015 Junior World Championship in Portugal, four of whom must be black. The quotas will stretch to referees, coaches and administrators, too.

"It's a sustainable way to implement transformation in South African rugby," said Mervin Green, Saru's general manager for development. "Most of SARU's provinces have failed to yield results due to lack of proper talent identification and development programmes. The transformation plan will be monitored annually to identify barriers that have a negative impact on the implementation."

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