Anyone for a pina colada?
This week we will mostly be concerning ourselves with slips of the tongue, comeback kings, naughty boys, fan issues and shopping lists...
The knives are being sharpened for Bob Skinstad after he let slip a racial term during his commentary of the Sharks-Chiefs game on Saturday.
"Lelia Masaga has gone head high in an absolute coconut tackle straight onto Lwazi Mvovo and tried to take his head off," he said.
For those who don't know, 'coconut' is a derogatory terms used in Oceania to refer to Pacific Islanders. It's not a good thing to say at all and especially not in the context it was used in, with both SA commentators seemingly outraged at Masaga's tackle.
But as ever, it's what has come after that makes for the most interesting reading. Skinstad said on Twitter: "Heard the term and thought it meant aiming for the 'nut' - no harm meant sorry."
Erm? Ok so 'nut' means 'head'... so from somewhere in the morass of tortured metaphors that constitutes the average Skinstad commentary we should presume there's a context he knows of where the prefix 'coco' means 'aiming for'?
We're not buying it. It was used in exasperation and anger (and we know he's a passionate and excitable chap), while Skinstad has been to New Zealand enough times to have picked up a few of the colloquialisms. Even people who haven't been there know what coconut means.
It will be interesting to see what happens from here. The SA broadcaster Supersport has not issued an apology yet, while Skinstad's lame attempt at eschewing himself from responsibility is truly an insult to intelligence.
SA presenter Darren Scott was sacked - subsequently he was virtually hounded out of the country - for using a racist term in a fallout with someone who owed him money. Will Skinstad be afforded similar disciplinary treatment?
Staying in SA, is Victor Matfield really going to make a comeback? He who wrote a column back in December on how he was enjoying not pushing his immense frame to the limit in pre-season and who has spent many an hour reaping in some very decent coin wearing his tailored threads on the sidelines for Supersport?
It is, of course, possible. But this is a comeback comparable to that of Lawrence Dallaglio's back in 2005/6: not one that is well-advised for the country and not one by any stretch guaranteed to end in glory.
Most of all, it begs the question: why bother? Heyneke Meyer has four years to mould a decent pair of locks together and fill the Bakkies/Victor gap and he's not exactly short of options in the rainbow nation.
It is said that Meyer's call is based on the need for leadership, but that doesn't follow either, not when you have a number of recent examples - Sam Warburton and Richie McCaw are two - where a coach has successfully identified a long-term leader in the squad to set the tone for the next four or eight years.
South Africa's team has spent a long time trying to re-bear itself from the continued choice of experience over potential, a choice which involved using players long past their sell-by date to the obvious and occasionally vocal frustration of those not being let in. More of the same from Meyer is not a good way forward.
Also not a good way forward is being nailed for doping when you are barely out of nappies, which happened to England schoolboy and Harlequin youngster Jonny Spelman last week.
Spelman was found guilty - he admitted it - of using testosterone, drostanolone (both anabolic steroids), growth hormone (GHRP6), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), clomid (clomiphene) and nolvadex (tamoxifen) for three months in 2011.
Hopefully that's a lesson learned for Spelman - whose mother is a Cabinet MP and tried desperately to stop the news leaking out as well as financing a good deal of expensive legal representation.
But let it be a wider lesson learned to schoolboys who have their dreams: once tainted with that stigma, it is very difficult to bounce back and be taken seriously.
What's going on with fans at the moment? We've got Edinburgh fans abusing Yoann Maestri until he cracks and lashes out, Bulls fans throwing bottles at players' heads (and he wasn't even banned from Loftus), serial booing of kicks and kickers everywhere... is this rugby?
It's hardly surprising that when Premier Rugby announced last week that tickets for the London Double Header would be sold in four blocks according to team, fans thought they were being segregated à la soccer (in fact it was just a breathtakingly simple logistical solution), but when you consider what goes on at some rugby grounds at the moment, could you really have blamed Premier Rugby if it had been segregation?
Where does the problem start? Who knows... money is clearly at the heart of it. But you hear stories of music being played over the tannoys to distract kickers, of club administrators boasting that it is their responsibility to do everything in their power to make sure the opposition fails... an IRB campaign to highlight the values of sportsmanship rugby used to adhere to is becoming overdue at the top level.
That includes issues of stealing staff. The dust kicked up by Bryan Redpath's speedy exit from Gloucester needs to settle before he takes up the role he has so obviously been courted for by Sale otherwise there will be a long-lasting bad feeling between the two.
Obviously? This is Steve Diamond attempting to deny Sale's approach: "If he is available, we are going to speak with him. Now he is available, he is on our shopping list."
So here we go... Redpath is linked with Sale. He denies it, but rumours continue. Just before Gloucester play Sale, Redpath resigns suddenly. Now he's on Sale's shopping list. You do the maths.
Finally, if you're up for a bit of Sevens action but can't afford the air fares to Hong Kong and such, why not get down to Oxford on May 26?
The RAF Spitfires Rugby Sevens Team is hosting a one-day invitational tournament featuring a dozen international and UK-based rugby teams, with proceeds distributed to three RAF chosen charities.
The impressive lineup will feature the RAF Spitfires, international sides such as Wales, Afghanistan, UWIC and Indian Side Rugby Uncle, as well as both Varsity Sevens sides. Leicester Tigers and Saracens are also to confirm their places.
All proceeds from the day's events will be donated between Khelo Rugby, which enriches children's lives through the playing and coaching of rugby in Kolkata, India, the RAF ExPOW Association, and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
Not sold yet? Strange... ok how about some free tickets? Simply send the answer to the question below to competitions.planetrugby@teamtalkmedia.com . Don't forget to include a contact number so we can get hold of you! (We promise not to give it to anyone else.)
Question: Who are the current IRB World Sevens Series champions?
Loose Pass compiled by Richard Anderson
Comments
isthatrightref says...
@ justice... I seem to recall the "c" phrase being used some years ago & the SA commentator who used it giving much the same explanation as you - an expat also told me that it's a reference to the act of hitting a coconut with a stick to knock it out've the tree, so I can see the metaphor, poor though it is.
I think Skinstad's a **** & a poor commentator (god forbid we ever get him, Kearnsy, Marto & Clarky in the same commentary booth) but to me this is a case of genuine offence being taken - given how the "c" word is often used, in NZ at least - where probably none was intended.
Posted 09:55 24th April 2012
jontheref says...
Pietie
"Skinskad is miles ahead of that England dooms day sayer Brian Moore."
In terms of commentating, knowledge of the game, knowledge of law, you are having a laff!
Posted 09:02 24th April 2012
Storm says...
@Ramage: N word = coconut - REALLY!.
The soles in South Auck were not hunted, incarcerated and shipped to NZ against their will. All came willingly in search of a better life which most have certainly achieved.
Coconut cannot be held in the same context with the hundreds of years of oppression endured by Afro Americans.
Posted 06:24 24th April 2012
startledwombat says...
Edit to say: the Nel case. [Oops, sorry]
Posted 04:48 24th April 2012
startledwombat says...
I now wonder, what DOES it take to be banned from Loftus?
Assault / the hurling of projectiles doesn't seem to cut it.
"Bringing the game / Bulls / Loftus / SANZAR into disrepute" also looks as if it is insufficient.
Maybe military ordinance? Incendiary devices? Not that I am suggesting such things, in fact quite the opposite. It's just that now there's room for speculation. I wish that the rugby authorities had taken the opportunity in the Wils case, to send a clear message about what's not acceptable on their property.
Rather than leaving it up to the courts.
Posted 04:46 24th April 2012
sandal says...
@ Ramage
Thank you for organising your comments in paragraphs. They are far more readable now!
Posted 03:43 24th April 2012
ClobberSaurusRe says...
Deary me, how do you delicate souls sleep at night with so much injustice int he world.
Posted 03:36 24th April 2012
pog_mahone says...
Wwolf Squirrel, fatbot. Can you explain why it is OK to make as much noise as you possibly can to put off the opposition hooker or an opposition throw, but you have to be absolutely silent for kicks or be faced with a chorus of indignant and self-righteous shushing? It all seems a little arbitrary to me but perhaps you can shed some light on it?
APV1 etc, sadly rugby is on an inexorable slide downward, it is inevitable when the sport is played for money rather than love (the definition of amateur). My advice for what it's worth is to turn off the TV and stick with the grassroots game. That's where you meet the type of people and have the type of experiences that you called out in your post.
Posted 22:55 23rd April 2012
Chubbylugs says...
The "coconut tackle" was the name given to stiff arm tackles commonly dished out by islanders before the professional era. I don't think it is particularly racist per se. It depends on who is offended. If it is non pacific islanders being offended on their behalf, then it's just PC nonsense. I personally think this is all a bit over-sensitive.
Is it a shock phrase only because it's not used so often, or do we all just have our heads stuck up our backsides these days?
Posted 22:25 23rd April 2012
DTno8 says...
Re. the booing of kickers. Yes it is off putting but its all part of home field advantage too. I would hate to see rugby crowds go the same way as football crowds. I love the banter and good atmosphere when you go to see a game but at the same time its the player kicking the balls job to put it through the sticks. Most professionals are on around the £100,000 mark plus now. When your getting paid that much to do something that I do for free then a few boos really should be water off a rich ducks back.
Re Bob Skinstad. I watched the game Saturday andheard the comment first hand. I had no idea that it was a racist slur of any kind. I have never heard it before. Whilst I do not contest the legitmacy of the slur or condone any form of prejudice, when I heard the comment I thought he was refering to the fact that the tackle was head high. A coconut shot. A head shot? I believe that the comment was purely meant in that way. If I had said something similar, that would not make me racist as I had no idea that it was a racist term. You can't be racist by accident.
Posted 21:43 23rd April 2012
BokAvenger says...
@APV1: Oh, so according to you an all Antipodeans the way South Africans use the word coconut is also pretty offensive. Okay, thanks for that mate. Can't wait for you to walk into the nearest township and inform everyone that they're racist. Please do let me know how that goes. I suppose a country that is 90% non-white and which has a 400 year of racism would have no idea how to spot racism so we'd definitely need someone from the high and mighty West to come and show us how to spot it. Like I said, please let me know how your little township educational tour goes. Can't wait to hear about the result.
Posted 20:40 23rd April 2012
jontheref says...
I am familiar with the term, and as Skinstad is better travelled than I, I would suspect he does know what it means.
Agreed though, if it is genuinely used by native south africans amongst themselves, it is a bit rich and very PC when complaints about it are raised!
There was booing fron the Irish crowd at the Wales game at the Aviva in February. Fact.
They may not do it as much as at other stadia, but they do do it!
Posted 20:40 23rd April 2012
Ripzy007 says...
as a responsible journalist or in this case a commentator, when you hear a new word you actually research the meaning and then use it knowing very well what it means....if skinstad did not know the meaning then he's either a complete idiot or just another arrogant racist dick....i do not buy his excuse but I realised that we are talking about a Soth African moron...not a good mix with the 'R' word...
Posted 20:35 23rd April 2012
Dylbull says...
I'm not familiar with that term at all!
But I would imagine that Bob Skinstad would be, with the ammount of rugby he has played, the ammount of journalism he has done down south and simply the ammount of people he has met.
Matfield coming back, tough one... while I do recognize his leadership abilities, I do think we have enough talent at lock and I do think there are other players who have the ability to lead the team. We have to start building for 2015.
It is very sad what is happening with rugby fans at some of the grounds these days. I remember from school boy level we were told to shut up whenever a kick was taken, no offence to the kiwis, but I really started to notice it at the world cup, booing the kicker and booing quade cooper.... I am not a huge fan of the guy at all, but that seemed a bit much. As a bulls fan, I am disgusted and embarassed by that idiot who threw the bottle and believe he should have been banned for life.
Posted 18:39 23rd April 2012
Ramage says...
Coconut is highly offensive racist term for an Islander in NZ, similar to the word nigger in the USA. Ok Skinstad used it because he was offended by the actions of Masaga, as he saw it.. Come on Skinstad has toured NZ and has had much to do with NZ and NZ players, so don't tell me that because some people on here don't know its offensive he doesn't. That is all Richard Anderson is pointing out.
We all know PR is very anti South Africa and is part of the world wide Rugby conspiracy against the Republic. Geez they don't even have the Queen as Head of State. Richard Anderson along with Paddy O'Brien the whole IRB, mosr rugby journalists are part and partial of this conspiracy. It also includes most referees including well known referees such as Craig Joubert and Jonathen Kaplan who have also been bought and paid for by those scheming Kiwi cheats. Tank goodness Pro Legoate and Jonathan Mueweesen have not been fooled by this world wide conspiracy.
By the way did I hear booing at the Sharks Chiefs game from the Home Crowd and was that music blaring over the PA system as Cruden kicked for goal surely not? It is also interesting to read that the idiot who threw the bottle at Meleamu has not been banned from Loftus. I suppose he will be made Supporter of the Year at the end of year Prize Giving.
Congratulations Ireland and the Irish it just goes to show there are still fans with manners. After the last NZ tour when the Munster crowd went deathly quiet at the kicks at goal even for the NZ kickers, a campaign to do the same was launched in Auckland. However, sadly, as you can all hear it was a disastrous failure just like their current Super Team.
Posted 17:26 23rd April 2012
markpat says...
I didn't think anything of the comment, assuming he was referring to a head on head collision.
Personally, I didn't think there was too much wrong with the tackle, either. The commentators first claimed that he didn't even try to use his arms, but you could clearly seehim try and wrap his arms, but he clashed heads first and his arms just flapped, it wasn't a lead with the shoulder. You could argue that it was intended head to head, but I didn't see that either, it looked like he aimed for a cheat high tackle and got it slightly wrong. I busted my face one game standing up into a tackle and smashing heads with the winger, only to have accusations from the opposition of trying to deliberately tackle his forehead with my cheekbone!
Also, @Dafydd29, Stevens wasn't banned for performance enhancing drugs, not comparable.
Posted 17:16 23rd April 2012
Storm says...
In NZ parlance coconut refers to people from the Pacific Islands, where, there are an abundance of coconut trees. It is similar to NZ'ers being called Kiwis, because, there are Kiwi birds that are native to NZ.
And, before the PC police who troll this site pile on - yes, I am a Kiwi of Polynesian descent.
Skinstad's only crime is using an inarticulate phrase to describe an incident on live television that he had an overly visceral and partisan reaction to.
Posted 17:00 23rd April 2012
APV1 says...
@ BokAvenger - if you don't know what something means, don't say it. Simple. It's quite an obscure turn-of-phrase for him to randomly have used without knowing it in advance. And to suggest he though it meant "head" is daft:
"Lelia Masaga has gone head high in an absolute HEAD tackle straight onto Lwazi Mvovo and tried to take his head off,". It's absolute nonsense to suggest that this is what he meant. He knew.
And I'm not on a saffa-hunt and always liked BS. But I hate racism and have a very low tolerance-threshold for it. If he's too much of a "domkop" to understand what he's saying, he shouldn't be commentating.
BokAvenger - this isn't one of your conspiricy theories or an attack on all Saffas. This is an intolerance of racism. I'm surprised you're not more upset that "one of your own" (i.e. a South African) has used a racist term. I find it mystifying that you're so accepting and almost trying to justify it. I think that the SA version of coconut sounds pretty insulting too, regardless of who "usually" says it. But in the context you mention, it makes even less sense.
@ yans - I'll defer to your greater knowledge of English Language technicalities (I can't help it if I can't even speak my "mother tongue"!!). But it's certainly not "racial".
I'm no angel and am not on some crusade. But those in the public eye need to behave better than those of us who are not. If I want to get so drunk that I vomit in my own shoes, I'm embarassing me and perhaps a small group of friends or family. If a rugby player does it, he's seen as an ambassador for the game and his club / country. As such, they are vilified for their actions. And this is no different. BS needs to be better than those who are not chosen to commentate.
And, in my opinion, anyone who suggests otherwise, is full of BS.
Posted 16:30 23rd April 2012
lawynd says...
I don't like Skinstad, but I'd be very careful before simply branding him a racist and hounding him out of his job. I've never heard 'coconut' used as a derogatory term before and, whilst his explanation sounds weak, it may genuinely have been a simple faux pas on his part. An apology is in order, from both the man and the broadcaster, but I think it'd be very harsh to expect anything further.
Welford Road is always silent when kicks are taken, by both teams, and applause is given if someone has the misfortune to be taken off injured. There are few clubs where this is still the case though, sadly.
Posted 16:03 23rd April 2012
PTplayer says...
Just a thought. Would be great to see a club like the Barbarians associated with the RAF Spitfires Rugby Sevens. I know they are mostly an invitational 15 a side club and need to manage their player requests carefully but the cause is great and it would be phenomenal to see a couple of current rugby stars on the field.
Posted 15:33 23rd April 2012