Rugby

Mtawarira hasn't been selected to represent the black people of South Africa, he's been picked because he's the best loose head they've got.

also, "not black enough" = racist

If they are the best players in the country their representing I'm more than happy enough for them to earn a cap.

This isn't a line up to show how multi cultural a county is, it's about representing the best of the rugby playing community

south africa is a country where the white minority is outnumbered by about ten to one. rugby has often been the reserve of the privileged minorities, it would appear little has changed.

Unignore this thread since I have a tenner on Oz. Can someone explain the rules, thanks.

Change takes time, what I imagine not helping is having to select a certain percentage of coloured players.

also, "not black enough" = racist

within the context of south african racial groupings, 'african' is not neccessarily the same as 'coloured'.

south africa is a country where the white minority is outnumbered by about ten to one. rugby has often been the reserve of the privileged minorities, it would appear little has changed.

a lot probably hasn't changed with the rest of the country but rugby has been at the forefront of working against apartheid. it was used as the poster child for it for christ's sake!

from a country who went from the post Mandela-release sport's committee voting to get rid of the green and gold and the springbok emblem because of what it used to stand for, to a country deciding to keep it because if you can change the attitude instead of creating a new one, you say a lot more about yourself.

Unignore this thread since I have a tenner on Oz. Can someone explain the rules, thanks.

Give it to the fat guy to charge up as far as he can with his fellow fatties, then give it to the glory boys out wide to skip around, a bit like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3O9AafnjHI

within the context of south african racial groupings, 'african' is not neccessarily the same as 'coloured'.

so, how is picking more, potentially less able (in the sense that if they haven't been picked to start then they probably are less able) "coloured" people going to help race relations? I would argue that if anything it would create more resentment.

Unignore this thread since I have a tenner on Oz. Can someone explain the rules, thanks.

currently? don't let anyone called "Johnny" take your kicks. no matter what colour jersey they wear.

Can someone explain the rules, thanks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cny1i4qyyMo

Welsh can have a red hot go here, that'll shake the pool up.

rugby has often been the reserve of the privileged minorities

Also - this is the problem everywhere and is a hangover of the days before it was a professional game.

Rugby Union has only been professional for 16 years and before then it was only the people who could afford to play it that played it (generally public schools and universities). Since turning professional there has been more money from sponsorship and corporate funding going into grass roots training and feeding rugby into more schools and communities who wouldn't have had access to it before.

We have only been seeing the benefits of this in this country in the last few years and if it's taken that long here, I doubt we'll see massive benefits in a country with as many socio-political problems as SA even in this decade.

That's not to say it takes time to change the attitudes of selection against race, it takes time to build the skill and experience of the communities (in your words, "coloured") who are new to the game to a level where they can play international rugby.

Welsh can have a red hot go here, that'll shake the pool up.

/back on track

definitely, cracking game

@Lambchop: Those rules are almost as if I'd written them myself. I could get into this game*.

*until we lose, obviously and then it can all get to fuck. Pint!

Wales

Love the guy in the crowd yelling "you're shit, you're shit". And Brits complain about Australia's unimaginative "cheers". :P

Awesome, hope the legs hold out for 80.

he's right today though

Yarpies look rattled, zero composure, has anyone told them it's not the knock-out stages yet.

Cmon Wales

Best performance by any of the home nations and the only one not to win.

Really is shit being Welsh I imagine.

Robbed

Be interesting to see what the press think about Hooks second penalty attempt, all the camera angles I've seen say it was over.

Best game of the tournament to date.

Robbed

really? that drop goal was a sitter

great game and a bit gutted wales didn't win