Here's a new one! There's been whinging about scrum techniques, spear tackles, one-eyed refereeing and benevolent suspensions all week between South Africa and New Zealand, but a radio interview with former All Black prop Craig Dowd even has the South African Honorary Consul in New Zealand, Gregory Fortuin, up in arms.
Dowd recorded an interview with Newstalk ZB in New Zealand, branding South Africa coach Peter de Villiers a political puppet, and saying that he had yet to see any evidence De Villiers knew anything about rugby.
Fortuin did not go on the record - consuls rarely do - but the SAPA released a report on Thursday outlining his dismay, saying that Fortuin found the personal attack on De Villiers 'offensive'.
That was a quiet reverberation at a higher level, but the reaction from SA Rugby was suitably indignant at the end of a week in which the name-calling and cheap accusations have reached comically childish proportions.
Mpumelelo Tshume, Chairman of SA Rugby (Pty) Ltd (the professional arm of SARU), issued a statement on Thursday calling for Dowd to publicly apologise for the comments.
"SA Rugby has noted with shock and disgust comments made by former All Black Craig Dowd in which he described Peter de Villiers, the Springbok coach, as a "puppet", among other things," it read.
"Mr Dowd's comments are not only deeply and personally offensive to Peter de Villiers and SARU but also comically ill-informed on the affairs of South African rugby.
"We trust he will show rather better judgement in having the good grace to apologise to Peter de Villiers and to the South African rugby community for the profound offence and hurt he has caused."
What next? The players' mothers getting involved by writing stern letters to the IRB? An extension to the Hokkaido G8 summit?
Rumour is that the teams will settle things over a good hard game of rugby though, with the date set for Saturday.
Comments
Be the first to comment on this story..