Transformation cloud hangs over the Boks
The 2015 Springbok squad before leaving for the Rugby World Cup. The year 2003 was one of the most controversial build-ups for the Springboks ahead of a Rugby World Cup campaign. Back then, Rudolph Straeuli was the head coach and South Africa had their worst finish at the quadrennial showpiece – a quarterfinal exit to the All Blacks. Matters got worse for Straeuli and his staff when details of the infamous Kamp Staaldraad emerged. It was later revealed that players were forced to take part in barbaric team building tasks while cold and naked. Kamp Staaldraad had been designed to unify the players, but succeeded in tearing the team apart. Twelve years later, the team is faced with a different kind of challenge –transformation. Some might say the team is being dragged through the mud, while others believe it is about time Saru was stripped bare on this subject. Either way, we are at a crossroad in South African rugby. Be as it may, hundreds of f...