Ke Nako - Celebrating Africa's Humanity (the San - Bushman slogan for South Africa's Football World Cup in 2010) has moved me to write about the future of rugby union in South Africa.

South Africa is experiencing an African revival.  During apartheid the country had a diverse local population of 30 million people which is now being further enriched by the influx of more northern Africans of all shapes and sizes. 

South Africa, in fact, is growing at a rate because of this immigration and an estimated 10 million people have crossed the Mexico-US like border on the Limpopo River in northern South Africa in recent times.

'Move over Bryan Habana, let's put wings on those wings'


Ke Nako, as a slogan, aims to fight xenophobia and put a positive spin on the future of the country and within this thinking I am quitely confident the Springboks too will ultimately be enriched with this widening gene pool and stable of talent.

I have a picture, which is really only a generation away that incorporates this fresh talent as it filters through the South African education and sporting system. Countries like the USA have witnessed this with NBA basketball players, athletics and sport in general. Big names like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and the Zambian Australian George Gregan come to mind while eyeballing the future of Springbok rugby.

My travels have taken me around the whole of Africa and through many of the 53 countries making up the continent.  And today's South Africa is a United States of Africa - walking down any local street is a virtual tour of the continent.

Looking at the shapes and sizes of these newcomers has me drooling like a kid in a candy shop.

My shopping list of Africans for a Springbok squad includes:

1.   NBA basketball supersized Nigerians at lock - Victor Matfield and a half
2    San bushmen - these hardy George Gregan like fellas are tough warriors
3.   Masai Kenyans - really great African warriors that tower over most other Africans
4.   Zulus - the local lads are famously hard-nosed
5.   Nubians (northern Sudanese with unrivaled stamina and strength)
6.   Ethiopian runners - move over Bryan Habana, let's put wings on those wings
7.   Namibian speedsters - where everyone's a Frankie Fredericks
8.   Angolan/Congan front rows - these guys are four foot wide at the hips
9.   Tanzanians - imagine a really big Jonah Lomu
10. Somalians - hard (ask the USA's military).

Every day I witness these guys before me, on the way to the supermarket, in the bank or when dropping the children off at school and I am sure it will only take a generation for them to break into local sport, with a bang.

When they do, I reckon you can stencil the Springbok name onto the Webb Ellis Trophy for good.