Springbok coach Johan ‘Rassie’ Erasmus was presented with the 2024 FW de Klerk Foundation Goodwill Award for uniting the country.
He was invited to speak about the transformation in the South African team over the last decade, which produced one of the best rugby captains, Siyamthanda ‘Siya’ Kolisi.
In a memorable speech that received a three-minute standing ovation, Erasmus said in 2013, when they were on the sixth spot in the world ranking.
“I want to tell South Africans that we feel the passion from everyone.
“There was a time when it was just ourselves driving and we were six and seven in the world, but I don’t associate with losers.
“Many people confuse happiness with hope, and when you go home, people suffer. They were happy for those 80 minutes, proving that hope is not for everyone.
“I want to give credit to SA Rugby, and others on the ground level, like the talent scouts. We started the Elite Players Development Programme, we had to find a way of how we could make it fair, we wanted to change, and the whole country to support us.”
He said many would ask themselves why they would want to watch a team with few people of colour.
“You can’t just support a team with two coloured people. If the guy does not have access to infrastructure and they are in the street playing with something that is not even a ball.
“The right for them to play South African rugby was taken away from them. When we talk of transformation, many people believe it is white out and black in, but it just means change.
“It became such a nasty word in SA and they would say you can’t start in Springboks with the quota system. We wanted the players of colour to feel safe in the environment, then we will have a great team.
“I hate the word quota, I think that the white players might say I’m not playing because there is a quota player.”
Erasmus said they dealt with boys who were under the age of 15.
“We worked with 75 boys. We thought we are going to change in selecting, training, and management.
“If you have potential, we are going to coach the hell out of you! It wasn’t expensive, it was getting knowledge, a mentor, and nutrition, and also moving them to the schools with the sport. It is not ideal, it would be good to change the schools they come from. Give every guy a fair chance, they may not all be Springboks. We don’t count numbers, we count talent. We must stay nice and humble.”
He said one of the greatest qualities about South Africans is that “we make our way around it.”
“If a man has no money to eat and has no electricity, he will go out at the robots and direct traffic and get money for it.
“We moan about load shedding, but we make our way around it. Other countries have it easy.
“We are a special country and we find a way. It does not come easy for us but we make it work. Our strength is in diversity.”
Before presenting Erasmus with the award, Elita de Klerk, the chairperson of the FW de Klerk Foundation, told him that he had the ability to unite the nation.
“It was a great pleasure getting to know you. What we heard today, is what encapsulates what you’ve given to South Africa. How you inspire the players, how they feel accepted for what they are, and the unity everybody unites when they watch rugby.
“Don’t underestimate your personality, it has a ripple effect beyond your imagination. We need to forget the past and unite in the now. This award policy started in 2010, and is to recognise the people with amazing qualities that have the capacity to unite the nation and you are one of them.”