being kept on the bench. Or worse, they're not even in the match-22.

These are great rugby players who have excelled at different times for their provincial teams and for the Springboks.

They're not quota players, as some racist supporters will allege. They are fully fledged Springboks who earned their place among the elite of South African rugby. So why won't the coach back them?

While considering this proposition, I was browsing the SuperSport website where I noticed an interview with Springbok winger Francois Hougaard.

Hougaard told writer Gavin Rich that in 2013 he wants to specialise at scrumhalf and would not play wing anymore, even if that meant he didn't get to play for the Bulls and the Springboks.

But what caught my attention was a quote from Hougaard buried at thealso result in me being attacked by South African rugby fans – who probably also believe that a white scrumhalf at wing is better than a black wing who specialises in that position – for pointing out the basic facts.

So is South African rugby racist? A better question is, which parts of South African rugby is racist? There are the coaches, the players, the administrators, the fans, and the media. Are all these elements of rugby racist?

Does the simple fact that because rugby is being played in South Africa by South Africans make it inherently racist, or is it realistic to assume that rugby can transcend racism in a country so mired in its shady forms? After all, it's clear for the world to see that, thanks largely