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| sport | [ current issue highlights ] | |
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THERE'S A CUP |
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THE WORD 'QUOTA' HAS GAINED INCREASED CURRENCY IN SOUTH AFRICAN SPORT OF LATE, WITH ESTABLISHED CODES SUCH AS CRICKET AND RUGBY UNDER FIRE FROM SOME QUARTERS FOR NOT DOING ENOUGH TO ENSURE THAT TOP PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL TEAMS REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF TH The word 'quota' has gained increased currency in South African sport of late, with established codes such as cricket and rugby under fire from some quarters for not doing enough to ensure that top provincial and national teams reflect the diversity of the Rainbow Nation's population. Rugby, in particular, has come under fire for an apparent lack of desire to spread the gospel of the oval-ball game. This has often been a touch unfair as SARFU has ploughed millions of rands into development. Sometimes though, public perceptions can be difficult to change. The newly introduced Vodacom Cup will significantly broaden the base of young rugby players in South Africa and provide all 14 of the country's provinces with improved strength in depth through an enforced system of quotas for underprivileged players. Over the past few seasons the Super 12 Tournament between the powerhouse provinces of South African, New Zealand and Australian rugby has captured the headlines. And rightly so. The brand of rugby exhibited has been exhilarating, easily comparable to the national teams of the northern hemisphere. But for those players not quite fortunate enough, a place in South Africa's new, regionalised Vodacom Cup tournament gives those just under Super 12 status a chance to showcase their skills. The event is the first senior provincial rugby tournament in this country to introduce quotas. SARFU introduced quotas at all levels of the sport in 1995, with the exception of senior national and provincial teams. Over the past two years a significant number of players from underprivileged areas (UPA's) have been exposed to higher levels of competition, notably at U19 and U21 levels. The Vodacom Cup aims to introduce and entrench UPA players at the highest provincial levels. "The tournament is an important element in the process of transforming rugby into a truly national sport. Ultimately, the success will depend on the commitment of the provinces and their coaches to ensure that UPA players are properly utilised. Provinces should strive to exceed the quota rather than meet it," said Sas Bailey, General Manager of Development and Promotion for SARFU, at the launch of the event in Wellington earlier this year. "SARFU's many other game development projects take on added relevance with the introduction of this new event. By the same token the tournament gives the provinces another level of competition in which to highlight their successes in the area of game development . The Vodacom Cup is a great incentive to any young player to continue to improve his skills and attain his goals in sport. The tournament will also increase the demand for SARFU to intensify its game development initiatives, which include youth rugby, the Coca-Cola Craven and Academy Weeks, Elite Squads and U19 and U21 projects. In years to come we will see more and more new names and faces coming through as a result of the Vodacom Cup". Bailey believes it is important to view the quota system in the correct context. He maintains quotas are not there for the sake of imposing them: "The quota is there to develop the game so that national and provincial teams eventually represent the profile of the people who play the game". The Vodacom Cup will run concurrently with the Super 12 season and many of the games will be televised as curtain raisers to the Super 12 clashes. The 14 provinces have been divided into two groups based on geographical regions. The south region comprises Boland, Border, Eastern Province, Western Province, South Western Districts, Griquas and Free State. The northern section teams are the Gauteng Lions, Blue Bulls, Gauteng Falcons, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Free State and Natal. A double round of matches will be played and the two top teams from each region will qualify for the semi-finals on May 22 and 23. The final will be played on the weekend of May 29/30. Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SARFU, says the Vodacom Cup will provide "tangible evidence of the success of many development projects which have been introduced by SARFU over the past six years. We believe there is sufficient talent across the country for all provinces to select this number of players on merit. The system is in line with similar quotas which are in effect at other levels of the sport". Provinces which have traditionally had a greater number of UPA players Boland, Western Province, Eastern Province, South West Districts and Border are required to field at least three UPA players. The remaining nine provinces must field at least two UPA players at all times. The quota system, predictably, has not been implemented without controversy. Western Province initially chose Thinus Linee and Chester Williams as two of their UPA players for an early Vodacom Cup game. Both of these players are Springboks however, and their exploits on the field make them definite non-UPA players. Province have since chosen the pair as non-UPA team members. The terminology all gets a little complicated, what with UPA's and non-UPA's, but such is the reality of South African sport in these transitional times. On the plus side, early indications are that the Vodacom Cup is set to be a huge success. (contd...) A number of early games saw victories for the smaller provinces. Griquas, for instance, humbled mighty Western Province by almost forty points in their first Vodacom Cup match. Such upset results can only benefit South African rugby as a whole. First prize for SARFU and the sponsors would be for the Vodacom Cup to unearth rough diamonds, which can be polished and honed to become genuine international-class players. Chester Williams, McNeil Hendricks, Thinus Linee and Dale Santon have all shown that with the right guidance and opportunity, this aim is a wholly realistic one. Make sure you watch as much of the Vodacom Cup as you can: it's set to become the most important talent-spotting event in the country. Ñ The Vodacom Cup Player of the Series will receive R10 000. Ñ The Vodacom Cup leading try-scorer will receive R5 000. Ñ Man of the Match prizes of R500 each will be awarded in every game. The Vodacom Cup will be played between all 14 SARFU-affiliated provinces, which will be divided into two groups based on geography. Teams finishing in the top two places of each section qualify for the semi-finals. The draw will be as follows: North 1 v South 2; South 1 v North 2. Should teams finish on an equal number of log points at the end of their match programme, their position will be determined according to their net points (points for and points against). Home advantage of the Vodacom Cup final will be determined as follows: a) The opposite venue to that last played between the two teams in a Bankfin Currie Cup final. b) If no record exists, at the venue of the team with the most log points. c) If equal, at the venue of the team with the greater net points difference (points for minus points against). d) If equal, at the venue of the team that scored the most tries in the competition. PETER DAVIES |
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