IT IS a sign of the slow but steady racial transformation that is taking place at all levels of South African society that a man of colour has been appointed to coach the Springboks for the first time; an indication of how far we still have to go that his race should still provoke such heated debate.
Former South African under-19 and under-21 coach Peter de Villiers was handed the chalice on Wednesday after getting the nod from the South African Rugby Union's (Saru's) presidents' council over frontrunner Heyneke Meyer, who had resigned as coach of the Bulls, last year's Super 14 winners, in anticipation of getting the top job.
Only time will tell whether the chalice contains a fine vintage from Paarl, De Villiers's home town, that will improve with age, or the same slow poison that has invariably been fed to his predecessors. Certainly, the intrigue that accompanied the presidents' council vote -- it emerged yesterday that the decision was by no means unanimous, with 10 of the member unions accepting the selection panel's recommendation of De Villiers and nine sticking with Meyer -- does not augur well. Inevitably, there is talk of political intervention in the selection process, and if the past is anything to go by there is likely to be a flame or two in all the smoke.
However, that should not detract from the fact that both De Villiers and Meyer were well qualified for the position, each with his particular strengths and weaknesses. If some of the unions that voted for De Villiers took transformation into account, that is to be welcomed. Correcting the wrongs of the past is imperative, and with two candidates of more or less equal merit to choose from, opting for the previously disadvantaged individual was the correct course of action.
From the perspective of the vast majority of players and Springbok rugby fans, the race of the coach is in any event irrelevant. What matters is whether he has the coaching credentials -- De Villiers does -- and the strength of character to be his own man in the face of extreme pressure, on and off the field. So far De Villiers has not put a foot wrong, refusing to be defined by his race, making clear that he has no intention of making wholesale changes to the legacy left by his World Cup-winning predecessor, Jake White, and asking that Meyer be included in the Springbok setup.If he is anywhere near as astute as his success as an international coach suggests, De Villiers will insist that his contract of employment be unambiguous, so that he can succeed or fail on the basis of his own decisions. Like all coaches, White made both good and bad rugby calls; his success came about because he was consistent in his coaching philosophy and stood up for himself when it mattered. De Villiers will have to be especially vigilant that individuals with political agendas do not assume he will be more open to manipulation because of his race.
It would be naive to believe that South African rugby has been cured of its past habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory just because it has chosen a black coach. The parochial provincial and political interest groups that have traditionally controlled the game in SA are sparring once again in anticipation of Saru's annual general meeting in March, at which the presidency will be back up for grabs.
The outcome could determine whether De Villiers receives genuine support, both as a coach and as a champion of black talent, or South African rugby continues to be used as a political weapon, with superficial transformation and the loss of the Boks' World Cup-winning form.
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