Ludeke: 'Let this not be the last'
Fri, 28 May 2010 15:05
Backing the men in blue: Bulls fans at the Orlando Stadium
The Bulls and Stormers will face off in an historic first-ever Super 14 Final at Soweto's iconic Orlando Stadium on Saturday. The general consensus is that it should not be the last time the game of rugby is taken into areas dominated by soccer.
The intention is not for rugby to 'steal' fans from soccer's traditional base.
It is more to show the incredible beauty of South Africa's diverse population and the ability of the rainbow nation to share in each other's cultural diversity.
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, having experienced the unique pleasures of the Orlando Stadium and the din of its vuvuzelas when beating the Crusaders there last week, has given an unequivocal 'thumbs up' to the principle of playing the game outside of traditional rugby venues.
"We were pleasantly surprised by the hospitality of the people in Soweto," Ludeke told rugby365.com, as he looked ahead to their return trip to Soweto.
"They took us in like family, it felt like home and there were so many Bulls supporters."
Whilst the Bulls coach had far more pressing issues to consider this week, such as preparing his team for their most important game of the season, he still found time to share his thoughts on an event that has even had the country's most senior politicians in raptures.
The Bulls boss was not keen on talking about the political significances of the decision to play their semifinal and Final at the Orlando Stadium, but he did not hold back when talking about the venue's world-class facilities.
"Just to have the opportunity to play in Soweto is great," he told rugby365.com, adding: "Hopefully this sets the scene for other, bigger, games to be taken there.
"It [the Orlando Stadium] showed that it has all the facilities to host major sporting events there.
"It was an incredible experience, the spectators are virtually on top of the field and the atmosphere is so much different. The whole occasion (last week) was really special and hopefully this coming weekend will also be a very special occasion that people will remember for a long time."
Ludeke would not be drawn on how regularly rugby games should be played at South Africa's so-called 'non-traditional' venues, but he praised the facilities at the Orlando Stadium - comparing them to that of Loftus Versfeld, which, of course, is being used during next month's Soccer World Cup.
"A [Super 14] semifinal and Final is very close to a Test match in terms of the occasion," he said.
"I can only speak from the viewpoint of a coach or player and we had a very succesful day and it had everything that you can find in any other stadium in the country," he said of the Orlando Stadium.
"Everything that we needed on the day was given to us. We really enjoyed the occasion and it was a great privilege [to play there]."
One of the most surprising aspects that the move to Soweto has highlighted was the enormous support the Bulls enjoy amongst black spectators - considering that for years they Pretoria-based side were labelled as a boorish Afrikaner team.
Yet, they were greeted by thousands of blue-clad, flag-waving Soweto residents, who also opened their homes to the visiting white residents.
The interaction between the diverse cultures were another reminder of the beauty of South Africa and how far the rainbow nation has come in the last two decades - most of which has been through sport; with the 1995 World Cup and 1996 African Cup of Nations both playing huge roles.
"That is fantastic, it is something that has come over a number of years," Ludeke said, when asked about the fact that stats showed almost 50 percent of his team's support comes from the non-traditional, non-white communities.
"That is what makes it so much more special," he added.
"You could see when our bus travelled through Soweto, the people in the streets were wearing blue and had flags, that is really incredible.
"That is what makes the whole occasion so unique. It is nice to see the diversity of our supporters. The team has played some really good rugby over the last few years and that must be one of the contributing factors to that support base.
"It is humbling to see the diversity of our support base.
"There's been such special moments this season - like when [South Africa] President Jacob Zuma attended one of our home games and this past weekend when Mrs [Winnie Madike] Mandela visited us.
"Those are the special moments you remember for a long time."
By Jan de Koning