It was fascinating to read the comments in the media after Bhutana Khompela threatened to confiscate the Springboks' passports so as to prevent them from going to the 2007 World Cup in France.
I am certain Mr Khompela was not in the least serious when he made the threat.
In fact I believe he merely tried to demonstrate government's impatience with the impotence of rugby structures to deal with the transformational imperative they face.
To tell the truth - rugby has been guilty off allowing reluctant administrators to *****-foot around the issue for far too long.
The message he (Khompela) tried to convey is: do something meaningful or government will have to intervene to effect fundamental transformational change.
We should also know by now what this means: government will do nothing!
Knowledgeable
Some of the "reasons" and "explanations" given by most of the so-called knowledgeable administrators and supporters (those that write to newspapers to express their disgust at the arrogance of government officials like Khompela) for the slow pace of transformation in top rugby, have come to border on the comical.
One so-called knowledgeable rugby individual wrote to the editor of a well-known Afrikaans Sunday newspaper claiming that before Nelson Mandela put on Francois Pienaar's No 6 jersey in 1995, black people never heard of rugby, not least played it.
I have sat in meetings where rugby administrators argued that we should not force black people to play rugby because they really want to play soccer and that black players shy away from contact situations in sport and thus do not like rugby as it is inherently a contact sport.
These prejudicial views and the total ignorance (in certain communities and circles) of the rich history of black rugby in this country lie at the core of the reluctance of certain coaches and administrators to embrace genuine transformational approaches to the game.
Agenda
Notwithstanding the above reality, the media also points to the real challenge faced by the Springbok selectors to select a World Cup squad that will need to satisfy the transformational agenda of Saru and the government.
In my view, this need not necessarily be the case.
What we are presently witnessing in the media is a selected focus on the "weaknesses" of black players that play in the Super 14 competition and who are contenders for World Cup selection.
Very little is made mention of the many weaknesses and poor form of white players who are considered to be guaranteed selections for Jake White's World Cup squad.
Os du Randt, though strong, is considered by many to be past his best, yet we can prepare ourselves to see good old Os take the field at the World Cup, without his selection being questioned by the so-called pundits - after all, he is the great Os du Randt.
Many say the same of the Springbok captain, John Smit, arguing that if he was not the captain he will not even make the squad!
Consistent
Yet, his selection will not draw the same scrutiny as those of the "black quota" that "must" be selected.
If one is consistent and objective, question marks should also be placed behind the names of Pedrie Wannenburg (who tries to jump past players rather then run in the spaces between them), Albert van den Berg (who plays more like a loose forward then a lock), Percy Montgomery (whose tired legs have now finally caught up with him) and even Jean de Villiers (whose indecision has been glaring in the Super 14), for below par performances.
Should this mean that they must not be selected for the World Cup? Jake White would throw a massive tantrum if this is even suggested.
My point is that just like these players have proven themselves capable of competing against and beating the best in the world, so have the black players that are in contention for World Cup selection and whose ability is now being questioned.
So stop singling out black players that, in the opinion of a few myopic commentators, are not deserving of Springbok selection.
There are quite a number of white Springboks that will find themselves on the plane to France who don't deserve to be.
