How much has really changed?
Columnist Grant Ball believes that not much has changed in SARU, despite their claims that re-structuring has made an impact.
An operational overhaul in SARU was announced in Johannesburg on Thursday, which upon first glance looks positive for the country’s rugby. However, despite the spin that much has changed with this move, in effect, not much has.
This whole new ‘re-structuring’ to make SARU more ‘streamlined’ begs a further question of one of the top men in SARU – what is Oregan Hoskins’s role in the whole situation and what has he accomplished in his time as president?
Hoskins has disappeared out of the limelight since Jurie Roux became CEO, and from Hoskins’s perspective, happily so. When Roux was appointed on 1 October last year, media were sent a press release stating that all queries should be directed at SARU’s communications department and no one should get hold of Hoskins. All queries for Hoskins would be handled by Roux.
Except for ‘answering’ Bokzine questions and being quoted in press releases paying tribute to some former player or other, both of which are answered and written by SARU’s communications people, what does Hoskins actually do for South African rugby?
Hoskins was insistent that four years was the ideal time-period for a SARU president to achieve what he set out to do – anything longer was too much. Now he sits in his sixth year in charge, and at the end of this tenure, he would have had eight.
Hoskins was re-elected for a third term when Mark Alexander withdrew his nomination, and now the former remains in a glorified position where he does a few ceremonial matters, and claims all the perks that go along with it.
One of his key policies upon appointment in 2006 was transformation. I’m no fan of quotas, but Hoskins has championed it, with little results. Last weekend the Cheetahs didn’t have one black player in their starting XV, while the Sharks had one.
The same problem arose in last year’s Currie Cup when coaches didn’t listen to him and picked the sides they felt were best. Who can blame them if the talent isn’t there? What is Hoskins doing for grassroots development? Are promising youngsters been sent to top schools on bursaries to get better opportunities and are facilities been built in under-developed areas?
Hoskins has been in parliament claiming many things regarding transformation – but he hasn’t delivered on those and now he’s basically hiding from his responsibilities.
Regarding the Kings and Eastern Cape rugby issue, Hoskins is trying to play the hero, but although they will enter Super Rugby in 2013, will they be given the best opportunity to succeed? Whether next year’s Currie Cup premier division will have eight or six teams still hasn’t been decided (the latter scenario would rule out the Kings even if they win promotion from the first division).
Hoskins intimated that Peter de Villiers was a political figurehead upon his appointment, but that’s essentially what Hoskins has become.
By removing himself from the limelight and having less responsibility and accountability, the gravy train is as sweet as ever for Hoskins.
By Grant Ball, www.rugbyxv.co.za
Follow Grant Ball on Twitter; @granted123
