"The most popular sport among black South African men is soccer,with the national team being nicknamed Bafana Bafana (meaning 'The Boys'). Soccer in the past has tended to be less segregated than white-dominated sports, like rugby union or cricket, though this is no longer the case."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_South_Africa#Sport
"Football was segregated by the past regime and became a focus for the non-racial sport movement.
In 1991 it became the first sport to become unified and has captivated the hearts of all South Africans."
http://www.safarinow.com/cms/sport-in-south-africa/irie.aspx
A sport that is less segregated is still segregated. Soccer continues to be seen in South Africa as a sport that the black people play, and Rugby is the sport that whites play. You will not be able to remove this unless an entirely new sport is introduced. There are people on both sides trying to link the two sides, but they are only trying. Primarily, soccer in south Africa is been seen as a beacon of hope. This is because they believe that the soccer world cup will bring in a lot of jobs and hence money to the black communities of South Africa.
The South African government believes that football is the sport that will join the two sides completely. Rather than artificially, or by pretending the divisions aren’t there.
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2005/s1296562.htm
"but because they are so poor alot of them dont have access to equipment etc."
the only equipment needed to play fooball is something to kick preferably round. you do even need a little poor friend to play as you can kick it around and against your hurt. have you tried to kick an egg around by yourself? i can't imagine it being to fun.
Kicking a football with two people is much more exciting then kicking a soccer ball around by yourself, or with two people. I don’t find it fun kicking a soccer ball or a football with myself. Or hitting a hockey ball around, or any ball for that matter. It is much better playing with someone else.
"The AFL is reaching into these remote communities, ones that have wars against each other, and they are presenting football as a unifying force."
please google 'war in South Africa" becuase the last war i known of is the The Boer War and that was in the early 1900.
as for a unifying sport sorry the springbox did that already and like i said stated before soccer been doing it for years.
Why don’t you go and research tribal conflict in south Africa? That is what im talking about.
The division between black and white in south Africa, is not unlike the division between football and league in Australia (except that we aren’t in need of a unifying sport). Victorians (black) will never take to league (rugby) in large numbers, and Sydney siders (whites) will never take to football (soccer) on a large scale. Hence the need for a new sport that has aspects of both the sports that the sides can relate to.
"Football is played in one country professionally. And it is the most popular sport. We are in the process of introducing it to another country where it will show its superiority."
This is why AFL is pleased to announce the third Australian Football International Cup will be staged in Warrnambool and Melbourne. Warrnambool i bet the team will be happy picking up cow ***** of the ground before the first bounce. they can't generate enough interest here but the will do in a country that will host the FIFA World Cup in 2010. what will impact more on a little south african kid do you think.
It is hosted in Warnambool to show how ingrained the sport is into Australian life, rather than playing every game in a big city where you see little of a countries culture.
Yes soccer will impact on people with tv’s more, but Aussie rules will impact more on the people without TV as they are actually going out there in person and conducting clinics.
"$11 million loss by FFA last year, after i think it was a $2 million profit in 2006 (the best possible year as there will not be as much merchandise sold this time around....if they make it) No world cup = not enough money = no development"
Yes the 2006 world cup generated a lot of interest for the game here but it's not what made the money for the FFA as the crowd figures are higher now then 2006. It as the fact FIFA gave the $8 millon swiss francs to FFA just for turning up. thats what maded them turn profit. most if not all big business don't turn profit right away. in 2007 the FFA had to pay for the Asian Cup which cost them over $2 millon. oh yeah i forgot there no prize money to be had there.
Well if they don’t make the next soccer world cup then they wont get that 8 million francs either will they. Add that to the missing sponsorhip, and to very low merchandise sales, and FFA will collapse within two years. The Asian cup was a very bad investment. Those stadiums had hardly anyone in them. And the socceroos did very badly.
"There will be a club competition within the next 4 years. You will have to hurt then. Ill meet you on this forum in 35 years (if we both remember) and ill see you cry."
woo they already have a table tennis club there too! sports like rugby union and cricket must be *****ing themself.
Sports spread a lot more quickly once they have a decent international competition. Once football has competition from south africa it will slowly spread through Africa. Within 100 years there will be about 5 countries playing Australia at football and beating them. And no I don’t think football will ne the national sport of SA within the next 50 years.
mate i've got a cousin from south africa and have made friends with south africans while i have been overseas.
how many south africans do you know?
please stop reading your bias reports cus all they do is make ***** smell like roses.
One of my ex’s is a south African. And I know quite a few from university.
Your friends are probably just like soccer supporters in Australia. Telling everyone overseas who will listen that soccer is taking over.
good luck
