It has never been my beat nor my province to throw a couple of jabs and wild uppercuts towards fellow scribes, but the decision by Supersports to give former Springbok wing, the one with front teeth missing going by the name of Breyton Paulse, and his two co-presenters just a gentle wrap on the knuckles cannot be left unchallenged.
The trio made it their business to poke fun at Namibia’s performance and subsequent celebration in the 58-14 defeat against incumbent World Champions New Zealand’s All Blacks in their opening match, during their 5th consecutive assault on the International Rugby World (IRB) finals.
Paulse, whom I will never place in the same bracket as the likes of Gerhard Mans, Andre Stoop, Sarel Losper, Willem Maritz and many other Namibian rugby players of his generation, should have known better not to poke fun at a team laden with part-timers.
He should be ashamed of stooping so low, as a former so-called non-white South African rugby “legend”, to criticize a world-class try against world-class opponents.
Can this gap-toothed bloke please tell us whether he has ever managed to score such a beauty of a try against the very same opponents during his entire playing career? I’m just asking.
As long time friends of South African Rugby, we felt embarrassed and humiliated when the Springboks were beaten hands down by rugby minnows Japan at their own game.
I urge all patriotic Namibians to throw their weight together and petition the broadcaster to usher Paulse and his clueless friends in crime through the exit door. Period !!!
Sending supposed professionals to Coventry for showing such disrespect and flagrant disregard for good ethics towards their neighbour and only fellow African representatives at the global showpiece, cannot and should never be tolerated.
Namibians should demand Paulse’s immediate dismissal because the sanction is a mere eye-blind and does not fit the serious crime committed by their commentators, unless the bosses at Randburg are in agreement with the uncalled for, unprovoked comments uttered live on air by the false teethed “Haas Bek” Paulse and his buddies.
Thousands of Namibian rugby followers still support the Springboks and that country’s different rugby franchises but to be exposed to such unprovoked diminishing language from a Boland boytjie nogal, is utter rubbish and certainly not acceptable.
This is the same bloke who in the past has collected a reasonable amount of moolah here for delivering intended motivational speeches, ag sies tog. The brother should be declared persona non grata on our shores. No wonder his rugby career never really took off!.
MTC Premiership matches make the mouth water
Having watched a couple of MTC Premiership matches, yours truly must confess there has been a tremendous improvement in the overall standard of play. The game is quite fast and players attack with speed and intent.
The only disappointing aspect is the continued lack of sufficient numbers in the stands, with spectators still reluctant to squeeze their bodies through the turnstiles.
There is an urgent need in the area of marketing domestic football but there’s surely nothing wrong with the overall standard of Namibian football.
Truth be told, the league is loaded with a whale of talented players and given the score margins manufactured week in and week out – it shows all the teams are competitive because there are no more lightweights. I rest my case.