Cupido, Evan Dean (2015-04)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Rugby in South Africa has a long racial and political history. This history was a direct result of the policy of apartheid in which a deliberate attempt was made to arrange all areas of life along racial lines. One saw rugby being played and administered on the basis of race in which disparities between races became apparent. Twenty years into democracy and one has seen transformation in South African sport been increasingly prioritized by national government in which numerous policies have been developed to bring about redress and equity in sport. The South African Rugby Union (SARU) and Provincial Rugby Unions in their attempt to transform rugby have implemented numerous strategic plans to ensure greater access to the game in historically disadvantaged areas. Yet despite the efforts of both state and non-state actors rugby at a senior national and provincial level is still dominated by white players even though the majority of rugby players at a junior level are non-white. The research focused on how transformation policies in rugby have been implemented in the Western Cape. The research design was a case study, in which the author conducted a number of interviews with rugby administrators and managers, both past and present, involved at the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU). The objectives of the research was to look at what implementation initiatives have been put in place, both on and off the field, to bring about transformation of rugby in the Western Cape. The case study focused on rugby played at an intermediate level in which rugby institutions, school rugby and recruitment and club rugby in the Western Cape were explored. The research focused on how transformation policies have been implemented by those involved with rugby at a provincial and local level. Implementation of transformation policies in rugby was seen as a dynamic and complex process in which both state and non-state actors played an important role. Thus the theoretical approach of the research was a bottom-up approach to public policy implementation. The findings showed that while there was no strict enforcement of a quota on teams at the intermediate level the WPRFU have carried out a number of implementation initiatives in which transformation has been advanced. This is particularly true of transformation off the field in which employment equity and preferential procurement of the Union’s broader administrative structure has been advanced. Yet findings into school and club level rugby showed that there still existed great social and economic disparities between historically advantaged and disadvantaged groups. Thus the goal of achieving equity and access in rugby has yet to be reached at these levels. The research highlighted that transformation at a senior professional level will remain a challenge as rugby cannot escape the socioeconomic context in which it is embedded in. Therefore increase focus needs to be placed on transforming rugby at school and club level in which disadvantaged groups need to be assisted so as to ensure that rugby is played on a level playing field.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Rugby in Suid-Afrika het ’n lang rasse- en politieke geskiedenis. Hierdie geskiedenis is die direkte gevolg van die apartheidsbeleid, wat opsetlik daarop gemik was om alle lewensfasette op grond van rasseonderskeid te organiseer. Rugby is ook op grond van ras gespeel en geadministreer, en die ongelykhede tussen rasse het duidelik daaruit geblyk. Twintig jaar sedert demokrasie ingestel is, word transformasie in Suid-Afrikaanse sport toenemend deur die nasionale regering voorop gestel. Verskeie beleide is ontwikkel om herstel en gelykheid in sport te bewerkstellig. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Rugbyunie (Saru) en provinsiale rugbyunies het talle strategiese planne implementeer in hulle poging om rugby te transformeer en groter toegang tot die spel onder histories-benadeelde gemeenskappe te verseker. Ten spyte van pogings deur regerings- sowel as nieregeringsrolspelers oorheers blanke spelers steeds rugby op senior-nasionale en -provinsiale vlak, al is die meeste spelers op junior vlak nieblank. Die navorsing fokus op die implementering van transformasiebeleide in rugby in die WesKaap. Die navorsingsontwerp is ’n gevallestudie waarin die outeur ’n aantal onderhoude met rugbyadministrateurs en -bestuurders gevoer het wat tans of in die verlede by die Westelike Provinsie Rugby Voetbalunie (WPRVU) betrokke is of was. Die navorsingsdoelwit was om te kyk na die implementeringsinisiatiewe wat ingestel is, op die veld sowel as daarvan af, om transformasie in rugby in die Wes-Kaap te bewerkstellig. Die gevallestudie het gefokus op rugby op intermediêre vlak; rugby-instellings, skoolrugby en -werwings en klubrugby in die Wes-Kaap is ondersoek. Die navorsing het gefokus op die manier waarop transformasiebeleide op provinsiale en plaaslike vlak geïmplementeer is. Beleidsimplementering het geblyk ’n dinamiese en komplekse proses te wees waarop regerings- sowel as nieregeringsrolspelers ’n belangrike invloed het. Die teoretiese benadering tot die navorsing was dus ’n onder-na-bo-benadering tot openbare beleidsimplementering. Die bevindinge toon dat, hoewel ’n streng kwotastelsel nie op spanne op intermediêre vlak toegepas is nie, die WPRVU wel transformasie deur middel van ’n aantal implementeringsinisiatiewe bevorder het. Dit geld in die besonder van transformasie weg van die veld af, waar die Unie se breër administratiewe struktuur diensbillikheid en voorkeurverkryging bevorder het. Bevindings wat rugby op skool- en klubvlak betref, het egter getoon dat daar steeds groot sosiale en ekonomiese ongelykhede tussen historiesbevoordeelde en -benadeelde groepe bestaan. Op hierdie vlak is die doelwit om gelykheid en toegang in rugby te bewerkstellig dus nog onbereik. Die navorsing beklemtoon dat transformasie op senior provinsiale vlak ’n uitdaging sal bly, aangesien rugby nie kan ontsnap aan die sosio-ekonomiese konteks waarin dit gesetel is nie. Wat dus nodig is, is ’n verhoogde fokus om rugby op skool- en klubvlak te transformeer en dat benadeelde groepe bygestaan word om te verseker dat die speelveld vir rugby gelyk gemaak word.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96918