User:The C of E/sc

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Eben Etzebeth in Springbok colours

History[edit]

The first Springbok colours were created in 1906 during the 1906–07 South Africa rugby union tour when captain Paul Roos decided to that the team would use their own emblem and nickname to prevent the British press creating one for them. Despite this, not many colours were made as was not standard issue at the time.[1] Later on they became standard issue for all sportsmen representing South Africa internationally but primarily was used by rugby union as the creators.

The first dispute over Springbok colours came from the rise of rugby league in South Africa in the 1950s. The South African Rugby Board felt it was their duty as members of the International Rugby Football Board to defend amateur rugby union against professional rugby league after several Springboks had defected to rugby league.[2] In 1959, the SARB declared that all players that represented South Africa in rugby union had to sign a declaration they would not turn professional for two years. Any player who refused this was obliged to return his Springbok colours and was not permitted to purchase a replacement.[2]

In 1963, the SARB took the step of copyrighting the Springbok emblem and Springbok colours as a badge under the Heraldry Act[3] to pre-empt any other sporting body copyrighting it. The board initially declared it was happy to share the Springbok colours providing that they were only awarded to white amateur sportspeople representing South Africa internationally.[4] It was also an attempt to try and stop the South Africa national rugby league team from using the colours, though Rugby League South Africa circumvented this by developing their own version of the Springbok colours.[4] Later legislation in 1971 was passed in order to enforce apartheid so that only white South Africans could be awarded Springbok colours[5] though this later extended to those deemed as "honorary whites".[6] This came after three black Africans were awarded Springbok colours for competing in the World Paraplegic Games. Later as a result of the legislation, Glen Popham was not awarded Springbok colours following winning a gold medal in Karate in the 1969 South African Games alongside his white team, despite his race being officially classified as Coloured which the South African National Olympic Committee were not aware of.[7]

Post apartheid[edit]

Following the end of apartheid when apartheid legislation had been repealed, Springbok colours started to be issued to non-whites again.[6] In 1994, following the election of Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress, the National Colours Board was set up to control the distribution of Springbok colours.[3] Despite this, majority of South Africa's sporting organisations stopped awarding Springbok colours following the replacement of the Springbok by the Protea following a government demand. The only sporting body in South Africa that were allowed to retain Springbok colours were the South African Rugby Union as an act of conciliation towards the white minority who made up the majority of the rugby team.[5] In 2008, the South African Sports Minister claimed under the National Sport and Recreation Act, 1998, that the Springbok colours copyright had been transferred to the government and the SARU had been it illegally and requested they cease using it. However, legal writers stated that the South African government's claim had expired in 2007 while SARU's copyright still was valid and pursuant to the case of In re: Certification of the Constitution of the RSA 1996, if the government tried to stop the SARU issuing Springbok colours, then the government would be liable to pay millions of Rands in compensation.[3]

Springbok colours are only awarded to South Africans. Australian Eddie Jones, who worked as a technical advisor to South Africa, was not allowed to be issued with Springbok colours as a non-South African[8] and was obliged to wear a South Africa tracksuit when pitchside.[9] Following South Africa's victory in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, all players and coaching team were expected to wear their Springbok colours to the post-tournament awards dinner. In protest, Bryan Habana gave Jones his Springbok colours and the team attended the awards dinner in suits instead of in Springbok colours.[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/3691122.stm
  2. ^ a b Conellisen, 13
  3. ^ a b c http://blogs.sun.ac.za/iplaw/files/2011/12/SPORT-AS-A-BRAND-AND-ITS-LEGAL-PROTECTION-IN-SOUTH-AFRICA.pdf
  4. ^ a b Conellisen, 18-19
  5. ^ a b https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-187035625.html
  6. ^ a b Yap, Melanie (1996). Colour, Confusion and Concessions: The History of the Chinese in South Africa. Hong Kong University Press. p. 394. ISBN 9622094244.
  7. ^ Horell, Muriel (1972). A Survey of Race Relations in South Africa. University of California Press. p. 316. ISBN 0869820109.
  8. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/sport/thanks-eddie-but-you-dont-get-a-bok-blazer-577774
  9. ^ http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/who-eddie-jones-how-good-10467741
  10. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35478033

Bibliography[edit]

  • Cornelissen, Scarlett (2013). Sport Past and Present in South Africa: (Trans)forming the Nation. Routledge. ISBN 1317988590.
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