Mbalula Fikile's astonishing tribute to the Springboks: I'll just leave this here. No editing. You comment.

JACK IN THE BOKS: Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula

Here is Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula's statement on the Springboks finishing third at the Rugby World Cup in England, sent to me by e-mail this morning.

There are some quite incredible comments like "The springboks  are our African African patriots, in their veins flow the blood of our common ancestors" and anybody who disagrees? "Our people must forever be vigilant and not allow our detractors to bastardise Mandela’s legacy".

Remember, this is the man who once described South Africa's national football team Bafana Bafana as a bunch of losers. Who accused this writer of "being on nyaope" for revealing the deceit of the pre-2010 "African Diaspora fund" when he was denying all knowledge of that infamous $10m payment.

The man who singularly fails to deal with the real issues in sport - match-fixing, bribery, development and corruption - appears to have worked really hard on this document. While he prepares to spend R6.5 BILLION on the Commonwealth Games in Durban (a sum which would provide free university education for ALL) with accusations of corruption already coming to the surface, appears obsessed by our elderly, unrepresentative rugby team. The question is: WHY?

Please read it carefully. It's quite staggering. Not quite sure what the ancestors would think.

STATEMENT

TO ALL MEDIA 

31 OCTOBER 2015

MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION SOUTH AFRICA, MR FIKILE MBALULA STATEMENT FOLLOWING THE EXIT OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM THE IRB WORLD CUP

Today we pay homage and tribute to the springbok team that defeated Argentina to claim the third place in the IRB 2015 I World Cup. I take this rare opportunity to salute Victor Matfield, Schalk Burger, Brian Habana,  Fourie du Preez, Jean de Villers for their selfless services and infinite commitment to the man in black green and gold and the people of South Africa. These senior players ,who by right and exhibition, reached their twilight days in international rugby remain loads stars to the current generation and a source of inspiration to posterity. Go well you South African compatriots! Farewell you faithful soldiers. 

As a nation we must remember that the springboks entered this World Cup against the backdrop of four successive loses in international test rugby. A shocking loss to Japan in the opening match  at the IRB 2015 RWC. Our boys in green and gold came to the IRB 2015 RWC representing a divided nation bickering over demographic representation and grappling with the necessary and inevitable perennial transformation debate. 

On the other hand, the All Blacks from New Zealand, our opponents had none of the above and that naturally gives them an edge over us. With all that baggage, the boys advanced to the semi-finals and gave the All Blacks a taste of their own medicine before bowing out in dignity and with their heads standing high on their shoulders. That is the spirit, bravado, passion, pride and brute synonymous with the springbok team. 

For this act and never die spirit of a springbok team, the nation salute and the coach for flying the South African flag high and fearlessly fighting to bring the Webb Ellis cup to the African continent for the third time. We take our hats off to the team for demonstrating once again that victory and glory belong to those who are prepared to make supreme sacrifices. The Springboks are the harbingers of the future and the posterity will benefit immensely by taking a leaf from their trial and tribulations. 

The springboks  are our African African patriots, in their veins flow the blood of our common ancestors. Whatever challenges we face as a nation, whatever contradictions society throws up in the  course of the struggle for transformation, whoever maliciously attempt to derail the path our government, has chosen ; that of peace and development thorough sport, nation building and social cohesion through sport, our people must forever be vigilant and not allow our detractors to bastardise Mandela’s legacy.

We must be vigilant, defend the core-values, consolidate what we have achieved thus far, advance and deepen the struggle for democracy, transformation and development in sport. The springboks and the transformation of any other code must be located in that vortex of a nation constructing it's identity and taking its rightful place in the global community.

I end by invoking the words of a Brazilian Philosopher Roberto Unger when he said “ the internal dynamics of societies, the revelations of inescapable conflicts and missed opportunities, are the proximate cause of their transformation”. Therein lies the strategic debate in framing the discourse and preparing our nation for the 2019 RWC in Japan. In the coming years we will not entertain meaningless debates. We have a Transformation Charter and the Eminent Persons Group on Transformation comprehensive recommendations to implement in order  to achieve transformation goals.

Ends.

Strange tail from the Rugby World Cup: Forget Paul the psychic octopus, it's time for Billy Wool, the paranormal sheep. Would ewe believe it?

Forget Paul the psychic octopus, meet Sonny Wool, the three-year-old paranormal sheep. Dyed-in-the-wool rugby fans are going to love him and his ewe-phemisms.

Yes, the 2011 Rugby World Cup has it’s own psychic match predictor. And in a nation besotted – and heavily populated - by sheep, it had to be a woolly one. Don’t go off to the baa... I’m not flocking about.

Last year, Paul the psychic octopus correctly predicted results throughout the FIFA World Cup in South Africa before succumbing to a premature end, presumably exhausted by his efforts.

But Sonny Wool – named after dynamic Canterbury Crusaders centre Sonny Bill Williams - is alive and well, and wearing a customised All Blacks jersey in suburban Wellington.

How does Sonny Wool operate? Why, he decides between two bales of hay, each bearing the flag of rival nations. Last week, he chose the New Zealand nosh, and turned up his nose at the Tongan offering – much to the delight of the largely Kiwi crowd.

After a slight hesitation, he confidently settled underneath the standard of his home nation with one fan insisting: "Billy Wool sniffed around Tonga and then it walked to New Zealand, with a bit of coaxing from the fans. It would have been in the oven if it chose Tonga, so it chose wisely.”

Similarly, Paul the Octopus chose between two flags flying over his lunch – a mussel - in his tank in Germany.

Paul (born 26 January 2008, died 26 October 2010) was born in Weymouth, England but moved to the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany where he correctly predicted the winner of each of the Germany's seven matches – and the final, where Spain beat Holland.

Sonny Wool – born in rural Dannevirke, the son of a humble ewe, in 2009 – is not just following in Paul’s erm... tentacle steps. He actually goes a step further than Paul, and is a bit of a player. His “owner and agent”, Dan Boyd insists he enjoys chasing rugby balls in his pen.

Boyd also points out: "He's the black sheep of the family. The other sheep don't like him at all. He hangs out and likes humans more. He also likes to predict when it’s going to rain. He taps on the door to get inside the house when he feels it coming.”

Since Paul the Psychic Octopus emerged last year, the animal world has seen a host of imitators, including a somewhat clairvoyant crocodile in Australia and Bo Si, China’s psychic panda.

But with New Zealand running out 41-10 winners over Tonga in their opening World Cup clash last Friday, Sonny Wool is on the path to fame and fortune-telling.

Kiwis can be a little sheepish about the subject, but in a nation of just over four million people, there are an estimated 40.1 million sheep, giving a ratio of 10 sheep per person - though the Rambo movies were not filmed there.

Billy Wool is now the most popular sheep in the capital, Wellington, but that may change. Boyd warns: "Our next game is against Japan and if he picks Japan over the All Blacks, then they will be the team to win. No question."

Sharm el Sheikh, August 2010

So while Arsenal are crushing Blackpool and Wayne Rooney and Stevie Gerrard await the latest news on various injunctions, we take a short break to have a look at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, where the Red Sea offers incredible snorkelling seconds from your room... suddenly the Premier League, England losing to Pakistan at The Oval and South Africa versus the All Blacks at Soccer City doesn't matter quite as much!

Despite my best efforts, the karoake drew at standing ovation, though the crowd was largely Russian, Ukrainian and Polish. Guess everyone knows My Way and Delilah, it's an international language!

Evening snorkelling cruise was cool, everything else was hot, hot, hot. It's 40 degrees and has rained once in 20 years.

Underwater pix have yet to be developed. Got a bit of video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AVi4dWBSgU