Researcher probes beneath the surface of South African sport

The turmoil gripping South African rugby - which sees the rugby union at loggerheads with the government -comes as no surprise to a University of Queensland researcher who has made a close study of sport in that country.

Human Movement Studies Department senior lecturer Dr John Nauright has also just written a book on the subject: Sport, Cultures and Identities in South Africa.

The book, published in the U.K. and now available in this country, takes a sweeping look at South African sports, with the focus principally on rugby union, cricket and soccer.

Dr Nauright, who has made numerous visits to South Africa over the past decade, examines the history of sport in the republic, its social and cultural significance, and its role in the former system of apartheid.

The book, described by the author as the first overview of South African sport in the post-apartheid era, carries the story right up to last year.

It concludes there has been little fundamental change and ends on a prophetic note by predicting exactly the sort of split now opening up between the government and the South African Rugby Football Union (SARFU).

'The place of sport in the shaping of South African identity appears to have changed little from the days of apartheid,' writes Dr Nauright.

'The old Afrikaner establishment is in firm control of rugby and SARFU administration of rugby appears to be the same as it has been since at least 1956.'

That also seems to be the prevailing government view which has resulted in a full judicial inquiry and moves to strip SARFU of the right to select the national side and restrict use of the team's world-famous Springbok name and logo.

The country's rugby team has been known as the Springboks for more than 90 years and Dr Nauright said this, more than the national anthem or old national flag, was the most potent white cultural symbol.

Dr Nauright's research showed rugby had always occupied a key place in the lives of white South Africans, especially men, partly because it reinforced long-held notions of dominant white masculine power.

South Africa's victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup seemed to illustrate the power of this game to unite the new 'Rainbow Nation', but Dr Nauright said the euphoria generated was short-lived.

It was followed by a series of defeats and dissent on and off the field. There was added pressure as professional rugby emerged, and clinging to the game's administration was the ongoing taint of corruption and racism.

'What's happened since is that rugby has gone back to being a sport promoted in terms of white identity with things like the old South African flags in the stadiums,' Dr Nauright said.

'White officials haven't put development policies into place and basically rugby is still dominated by the old guard.'

Dr Nauright said the threat to remove national team selection from SARFU carried a raft of legal and other implications which should be of concern to sports bodies worldwide.

It raised questions about what role, if any, governments or private organisations should play in the selection process.

Dr Nauright is a well-published authority on the social and cultural significance of sport in modern society and has studied such phenomena as the devotion of fans to a particular team or club and the increasing corporatisation of sport.

With Dr Tim Chandler, of Kent State University, in Ohio, he co-authored a book on rugby union called Making Men: Rugby and Masculine Identity. Later this year he has another book coming out looking at rugby's political role in South Africa.

He edits a twice-yearly journal of academic study papers on football codes around the world including rugby league and union, AFL, Gaelic football, American gridiron and soccer.

In addition, he has recently been appointed by BBC Wales as consultant for a four-part television series on the social history of world rugby which is due to be shown in the run-up to next year's Rugby World Cup.

For further information, contact Dr John Nauright (telephone 3365 6240).