If you’ve been feeling nostalgic about former glories like the 1995 Rugby World Cup or the 2010 FIFA World Cup then here’s a story to dash your hopes of something similar in the near future.

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula has just suspended the rights of three major sporting bodies – SA Rugby, Cricket South Africa and Athletics SA – from bidding on hosting any international events because of a lack of transformation.

More below from Sport24:

“I have resolved to revoke the privilege of Athletics South Africa (ASA), Cricket South Africa (CSA), Netball South Africa (NSA) and South African Rugby (SARU) to host and bid for major and mega international tournaments in the Republic of South Africa as a consequence of the aforementioned federations, not meeting their own set transformation targets with immediate effect,” Mbalula said on Monday.

“I will review this decision when considering the results of the 2016/2017 Transformation Barometer.”

Mbalula made the announcement during the release of the Eminent Persons Group on Transformation in Sport in Pretoria.

Turns out that announcement comes at a rather bad time for SA Rugby as another Sport24 article points out:

Having hosted the Rugby World Cup just once – in 1995 – SA Rugby and its CEO Jurie Roux have been vocal on their ambitions to secure the showpiece in 2023.

World Rugby will open bidding for that tournament next month and will have made their mind up by November 2017 as to who the tournament hosts will be…

A SA Rugby spokesperson confirmed to Sport24 on Monday that they were as surprised as anybody to hear the announcement of the ban and that there were concerns over how this would impact the 2023 bid.

“We have always said it was our intention to go after that tournament,” the spokesperson said.

SA Rugby will seek clarity from the sports minister as soon as they could.

Football governing body SAFA managed to make the grade, although Fikile wasn’t too impressed with their efforts at private schools:

“In respect of the South African Football Association, I am delighted that SAFA has met its transformation targets. I will, however, issue a Ministerial directive to SAFA as a consequence of their poor drive to penetrate and roll out football in former Model C schools and private schools,” said Mbalula.

Some might say that offering football at said schools AND improving the transformation of cricket and rugby may be at odds with one another.

Let’s just hope the talent keeps on coming through at a rapid rate, many of us are fond of sporting events that offer you an excuse to binge for a month or so.

[sources:sport24&sport24]

[imagesource:timeslive]