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SANZAR from the South African point of view

SANZAR, an acronym for South Africa, New Zealand and Australia rugby, is the governing body for the Tri-Nations and SupeRugby tournaments. To find out what the member nations think of SANZAR, do an experiment.

Google: South Africa SANZAR, New Zealand SANZAR and Australia SANZAR.

It does not take many headlines to realize that South Africa and SANZAR don't always see eye-to-eye. And, since SANZAR also metes out punishment for player indiscretions, there are always headlines when SANZAR cites South African players and fails to cite others for similar offenses.

Witness two cases-in-point. First, from last year's Tri-Nations, a vicious head-butt by Springbok Bakkies Botha on All Black Jimmy Cowan, which Botha received a nine-week ban.



Then, take a look at yesterday's Sharks-Crusaders SupeRugby match, with Sonny Bill Williams of the Crusaders giving Ryan Kankowski a flying elbow. What's important is that this contest might as well have been a Springboks-All Blacks game because many of the Crusaders will be All-Blacks and many of the Sharks will be Springboks at the World Cup.



Botha has a long history of citings, but I wonder why Sonny Bill didn't get any punishment at all, inlcuding in game. The official should have given SBW a yellow at least.

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