Tombstone Piledriver for the Springbok?

Springbok gets its marching orders

January 19, 2008
New Zealand Herald
By Ian Evans

For more than 100 years it has been a powerful symbol in South Africa, first dividing and then uniting a population once riven by racial division. But the springbok looks set to be kicked into touch as the national rugby union team's emblem and replaced by a flower.

The ruling ANC says it wants to unite all its sporting sides under one emblem and so the leaping antelope, which has never been more popular in the republic, looks set to get its marching orders.

The graceful animal has featured on the green and gold rugby shirts of South Africa for 102 years since being adopted during a tour of Britain in 1906-07.

Read the rest of the obituary.

Is somebody trying to tell me a Protea is capable of this?



And lest people think the Springbok is still a symbol of racist apartheid South Africa, I thought that was all put to bed when Nelson Mandela wore Francois Pienaar's jersey at the 1995 World Cup Final as a symbol of inclusiveness in the Rainbow Nation.



Let's hope the ANC thinks this one over before doing anything foolish.