Sport24 got its hands on the “other” rugby book to come out for the traditional Xmas-sport-book spree this year: Captain of the Cauldron: The John Smit Story. It goes on sale tomorrow. Here’s the first gloss, which relates matters Sharks, Watson, Staaldraad and Komphela:
While much has already been written on Kamp Staaldraad, Smit relates how this over-the-top militarism did not stop with Smit himself having to rip the head off a live chicken. The campaign was carried into the 2003 World Cup in Australia. In a stupid attempt to bring back memories of Staaldraad they were served chicken legs and eggs. They had guards posted at their doors and were trailed by the coach’s spies (their chief Adriaan Heijns, a former undercover agent in the SA Police Force, being dubbed 000 by the players) wherever they went.
“All that suffering in the pit achieved nothing, in fact it had set us back,” Smit says.
While he supports the goals of transformation, Smit also has some strong things to say about the role of some of the sport’s administrators. Sadly, he thinks they are there for personal benefit, rather than for the good of rugby.
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