SA Rugby president Mark Alexander delivered an emotional tribute to apartheid-era SARU greats at the Cape Town launch of Scrumming Against All Odds, a book that recognises their fight for justice and equality, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for Keo.co.za, Keohane explains how Alexander teared up as he honoured those who “scrummed not for glory, but for identity” and vowed that their stories would not be forgotten. SA Rugby Magazine’s Simon Borchardt, who attended the launch, described Alexander’s speech as “very interesting and powerful”.
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Alexander, who has led SA Rugby since 2016, reminded guests that transformation is “not a destination, it is a journey”. He pledged that the union will “continue to confront our history with honesty and shape our future with courage”, adding: “We owe it to those who scrummed against all odds. We owe it to the next generation who must never be told that their dreams are limited by where they come from or what they look like.”
He also confirmed discussions with New Zealand Rugby to host the Māori All Blacks in South Africa next season, where SA Rugby intends to formally apologise for their exclusion during apartheid. “These games will not only be a celebration of rugby excellence—they will be a moment of reckoning, of recognition and of reconciliation,” said Alexander.
Historian André Odendaal hailed Scrumming Against All Odds, edited by Omar Esau, as a “remarkable collection” that finally gives SARU heroes their just recognition.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
