Eastern Province Rugby boss Maasdorp Cannon launched a tirade against the SA Rugby leadership and the Springbok emblem during the memorial service of former prop Godfrey Thorne earlier this month.
Thorne, who was also known as “Doring” (Afrikaans for thorn), made his national debut in 1985 at prop for the SARU team and, after hanging up his boots, he served as assistant coach of Eastern Province with former Springbok head coach Allister Coetzee in 2001, at Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup levels.
Thorne died earlier in Feburary at the age of 63.
According to footage obtained by Sunday newspaper Rapport, during Thorne’s memorial service, controversial EP boss Cannon launched a scathing attack against the SA Rugby leadership.
“Stand up in the name of Godfrey, stand up. My plea is that we must turn the South African rugby landscape upside down,” Cannon was quoted as saying by City Press.
“I did not come back to support the South African rugby establishment, because it is still very much racist.
“We must see it for what it is. My plea to Eastern Province, because we are scraping around at the bottom of rugby, is to stand up. No one can take away our institutional memories. No one.
“But it’s not good enough just to have memories – we have to live it. There is reason to fight, there is reason to restore our rugby honour to its glory. And that is what we must do, in the interests of our children.
“I know there are people who are happy to support the apartheid emblem, the racist emblem – the Springbok.
“My argument is, that emblem is equal to that flag that was waved when we made a compromise in 1995. It has the same expression; it’s racist.
“Why did one institution remain and destroy true non-racialism and let us believe there was normality in society?”
According to the report, Cannon’s comments have not gone down well with the other rugby union presidents and CEOs.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander, who is overseas, told Rapport that he has not had the opportunity to listen to Cannon’s remarks.
Cannon, an ardent All Blacks fan, took over as acting EP Rugby president last year from the late Andre Rademan, who died months after being re-elected.
Photo: Michael Green
