On Playing the Enemy

South African rugby circa 1995 was more immovable object than irresistible force, so Nelson Mandela ingeniously converted the sport into a fulcrum for incorporating white society into the country's emerging sociopolitical order.

So contends Playing the Enemy, the 2008 book that is the basis of Invictus. Authored by John Carlin of London's Independent, the political monograph robustly elaborates parts of Mandela's autobiographical Long Walk to Freedom more than it narrates the 1995 World Cup.

It's disappointing but not critical that the book skips past controversial allegations of New Zealand's food poisoning before the final or the birth pangs of professionalism, a contemporary phenomenon of equivalent world historical importance. The plot would have been strengthened, however, by describing Chester Williams' belated, fortuitous inclusion in the Springbok squad.

All stories must begin and end somewhere. But just one season later, the Springboks dismayed the new 'rainbow nation' by losing an All Blacks tour of the republic for the first time; racial player quotas divided public opinion; and recalcitrant Afrikaner fans flew the old tricolor. Consequently, foreign correspondents portrayed unchanging rugby as a source of friction.

If Carlin's estimable work could not encompass these nuances, what chance Hollywood? Inevitably, the movie is rather different from the book. Yet Mandela's achievement of embedding rugby within 'new South Africa' endures, since 1996 more perspiration than inspiration.

For America, that is the main point. Invictus ideally will inspire Americans to consider rugby, yet one movie's long-term influence will be limited. If we are to attract, retain, and improve new athletes, the main objective is to strengthen our high school, college, and club teams, the atomic unit of the US game.

Comments

[Not Invincible]

The movie is a bust. Weak first week numbers followed by over a 50% drop in week 2. FAIL. Unless it receives a host of Oscar nominations this movie is going to disappear within by the new year.

[Vic Drover]

I normally love your insights into the domestic game here in the US, but this article is really reaching. It seems you would rather have had a story about unproven myths (the milk) and commercial nuances that could be debated intensely (professionalism). Like any good movie, Invictus has to stay focused, and in this case portray real events that can be reasonably verified.

How the use of sport as a political tool relates to promoting the game in the US is lost on me as the conclusion of your post is tangential at best.

To my knowledge, Invictus was not made to promote rugby in America. If so, please let us know so I can try to reconcile the beginning and conclusion of your post.

P.S. Can u please enable OpenID login or gravatar or something? Otherwise, maybe disable avatars (what's the point if i can't personalize).

[AP]

I think that they overlooked the France semi-final, which was a more exciting game. I forget which All Black excuse was the one in '95, food poisoning? forward pass?

Chester William's performance vs Samoa could have been stressed more and when you see the "All Blacks" line up before the game, a player can tell you that those are not legs that have played test rugby. Their haka was uninspired too.

The professionalism was began with this WC, but that would be an entirely different and dull story. Same issue with the quotas....necessary medicine but nothing more. Morgan Freeman is born to play Mandela, I loved the movie. Hope he gets the Oscar!

[Utah RFU]

Forever Strong with its strong moral story was way more inspirational a movie and a much better vehicle to move rugby forward in the USA. Once again the Mormons doing rugby's work in the USA! Go BYU and Highland!

[bruce mclane]

Eddie O'Sullivan in an hour long interview on www.ruggamatrixusa.com

a shameless plug again, but worth a listen

[DaTruth]

Utah - OK, how many new players has Forever Strong motivated to take up the game?

Invictus is about an amazing man, the transformation of a divided country, and the geopolitical impact of this man and his country.

Rugby is more or less a literary vehicle for telling that story. For rugby people in the USA, it's a good way of getting some attention and awareness for the game that we couldn't really get any other way, except for maybe the Olympics.

But its not going to magically inspire millions of kids to play rugby. Everyone is always looking for the silver bullet that will kick-start the game here. It's not going to be one thing, but a cumulative effect - - this being a pretty good one. More awareness, more mainstream exposure. I've seen more rugby articles in the NYT, WSJ and USA Today in the past 3 months than I have in the past 3 years. Another good thing. We're starting to scratch the surface of the mainstream media. A long way to go, but it's a start!

I too was a bit critical of the movie, but I wonder if it was because I was too critical of the rugby aspects of it.

Morgan Freeman was fantastic, Damon not so much. But, I'm trying to find some non-rugby people to see what they think.

[Mormons At Work]

The compelling and powerful Mormon message in Forever Strong will make it the most powerful and inspirational rugby movie ever made. Period.

[no oscars for clint]

I had one non rugby friend that went and he came away feeling that Clint Eastwood sort of mailed it in.

With regards to the rugby; he asked a lot of questions and was quite confused. I think it is fair to say that anyone not knowing anything about rugby will have learned little and likely would have been scratching their heads as to why teams were kicking for points. An easy resolution would have been to give the referee a few simple lines such as "your killing the use of the ball ... penalty kick to green." The audience would have gained a small understanding very easily.

I felt the movie really missed the mark - one never had a feeling that there was great tension within the country and that it was on the brink of civil war.

A far more interesting way to tell the story would have been to juxtapose the story of Justice Bekebebe against the political awakaning of Francois Piniaar (sp)with Mandela keeping the country moving forward.

This would have captured how brilliantly Mandela brought about relatively peaceful transition to majority rule far better than story that Eastwood told - which really is so shallow as to leave this viewer feeling let down.

And if you don't know what the hell I am talking about - read the book - it's out in paper back money better spent then going to the movie.

As for the players - it appears that in the land of beefy forwards the director chose to go small so as not to dwarf the not so big in stature Damon.

With regards to "Forever Strong" - OK movie as far as the feel good sports flicks go but is it wrong to call the hooker a hooker? I've never heard a hooker refer to himself as playing "hook" before this movie and as a former #2 that annoyed the hell out of me. Must be a Mormon thing!

[Skinner]

NOFC - on the "brink" of civil war?

I guess you mean black v white.

Meantime, back at the ranch, the Zulus were having a heyday with the Xhosa. If you look hard enough, you'll find some videos and photos of the "relatively peaceful transition".

It was a good movie - quit looking so hard, you sound like a dork.

.

[John T. Bryer]

The Mormons have done more for rugby than any other religion in this great country. Without the Mormons rugby in the USA would be nonexistent.

[no oscars for clint]

I'll make it simple - read slow Skinner ... wouldn't want you to misunderstand ... the movie sucked.

[crashtheline7]

umm. In my opinion rugby is like alcoholics anonymous--not linked to any sect, religion, politics or any other issues like that.
I attend MY church every Sunday but I don't announce my beliefs here. Please stick to rugby and keep the religious stuff off these boards.

[why not discuss this?]

Crash,

How about a discussion of how the religion of some effect the rugby of all college players.

How the religion of BYU allows them older post-mission players, who receive 7 years of college from the date of first enrollment. Or how the religion of BYU makes women's team's play on Friday in front of no crowds, even though their hasn't been a BYU womens team in the championships many years. Better yet, how all the college teams take an extra day off school because one team, BYU, won't play on Sunday.

Will these same players play on Sunday if there's an NFL paycheck on the line, every time, yes they will.

What about the good Mormons, good members of the LDS faith who attend Utah and other colleges, all playing rugby on Sunday. Maybe this isn't even a religious question. Maybe this is just BYU shoving this down all our windpipes.

If the Mormons want to talk about all they have done for us in American rugby, lets open up the conversation.

[not a hater]

I'll give you an Amen on that discussion!

[joe smith - dum dum dum dum dum]

Forever Strong blew! plain and simple. The movie was horrible and didnt have one competent rugby scene.

[SD Hitman]

Sylvester Stallone's 1989 blockbuster film, Lock Up, was more inspirational as rugby flick than any other. The perfect rugby pass that was made during the football game to score the winning TD was sublime...

[Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year]

Merry Christmas fellow Gainliners.

Let us hope the new year brings American rugby further away from the commonwealth model and closer to what is an American sport.

My Christmas wish is for more emphasis on high school and college rugby and far less on the Eagles and any other hair-brained rep team.

I wish for more Americans on the USAR Board and Congress. In some cases I wish for more courage for the Americans already serving.

I wish for a new CEO with executive skills and an understanding of US sports.

Most of all, I wish every American rugger to stand and demand more from every high ranking officer of your union.

Merry Christmas Gainliners!