Krige quit over race row
ByReuters
Published 02/11/2005 at 14:44 GMT
Former Springbok captain Corne Krige says in a new autobiography that he quit South African rugby because of a "weak ruling" from an inquiry into alleged racism before the 2003 World Cup. He makes the admission in his new book which also sheds light on th
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
In his newly published book entitled 'The Right Place at the Wrong Time', Krige sheds some light on the incident in which white lock Geo Cronje allegedly refused to share a room with a black team mate for racially motivated reasons.
An initial investigation found 'no conclusive evidence' of racism at the time. A planned independent investigation was shelved following a change in South Africa rugby leadership.
"I thought it was a weak ruling," Krige says. "Of course no one was going to come out and say Geo was a racist.
"But from the facts I gave them and the way I phrased my answers, well, if they couldn't make up their minds after that, perhaps they shouldn't have been holding an inquiry in the first place."
INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
The incident occurred at a Springbok training camp prior to the World Cup and after an internal investigation neither Cronje nor his would-be room mate Quinton Davids were selected for the final World Cup squad.
"For me, the incident played a big role in my decision to quit rugby in South Africa," Krige says.
"I was tired of dishonesty and having to consort with people I couldn't trust. I'd had enough of it. I wanted to get away from this sort of environment."
Krige quit South African rugby after the Springboks' quarter-final exit from the World Cup and spent a season with English club Northampton.
His book also deals with the infamous 'Kamp Staaldraad', meaning camp barbed wire, the quasi-military boot camp that took place prior to the 2003 tournament which England won.
The camp drew massive criticism for the way players were allegedly mistreated. Krige berates himself for not being a stronger leader and putting a stop to the camp.
He says shots were fired by military personnel in the direction of players and that team mates were forced to beat each other savagely in a boxing ring.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement