The Springboks are refusing to discuss the radical racial quota proposed by the South African Rugby Union.

The Springboks may have to start five non-white players at next year's Rugby World Cup, but at the moment the topic is completely off-limits.

When reporter Mark Hathaway tried to ask Springbok Francois Houggard about the new policy, the Springboks media manager De Jongh Borchardt quickly stepped in, saying: "Sorry mate that's a policy matter. As a team we are here to play on Saturday."

The Springboks will include seven non-white players in 23-man match squads next year if dramatic transformation proposals are adopted by the national rugby body.

And at least five of the seven should be on the field at any time during Tests leading up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, the SARU said in a statement.

Only three non-whites - wingers Cornal Hendricks and Bryan Habana and prop Tendai Mtawarira - started in their Rugby Championship loss to the Wallabies last Saturday.

They were among four black forwards and three black backs included in a 30-man Springboks squad selected by coach Heyneke Meyer to tour Australia and New Zealand.

Facing intense government pressure to transform a historically white sport, SARU want half the national team to be non-white by the 2019 season.

When Meyer names his 30-man World Cup squad for England, at least five of the non-whites are expected to be black Africans.

The SARU said in a statement that ignoring the racial imbalance in national teams would "put the sport at peril".

"The plan has been shared with SASCOC (national Olympic body) and the sports ministry and the next step is for the general council to sign it off."