The Welsh STAR will match the green and gold STAR that the Springboks are wearing on their playing jersey during their end-of-year Tests against the Six Nations champions as well as Scotland and England.Â
Wales players will wear the STAR on the left-hand sleeves of their new international match jerseys, worn in competition for the first time this weekend – as modelled at a Millennium Stadium training session today by prop Adam Jones, who will win his 50th cap on Saturday.Â
The STAR initiative was launched by Mr Oregan Hoskins, the president of SARU, a week ago and takes its shape from the acronym S T A R – Stand Together Against Racism.Â
“We are extremely grateful to the Welsh Rugby Football Union for wholeheartedly backing this important campaign,” said Mr Hoskins.Â
“They have given our initiative a global context but one that will have a particular resonance in South Africa where the evidence of the international rugby community rallying around our cause must have an impact.”Â
WRU Group chief executive Roger Lewis said: “We have had no hesitation in supporting the South African Rugby Union’s STAR campaign and the SARU should be given credit for addressing this issue in such a positive way.Â
“The sport of Rugby Union crosses many social and political boundaries and has the ability to unite nations through its competitions.Â
“The WRU and SARU have established a strong bond, particularly in recent seasons when we have competed for the newly created Prince William Cup and we are extremely happy to support their initiative and give as much extra credence and publicity to their worthy message as possible.”Â
The STAR campaign was launched by SARU as a follow up to a domestic ‘No to Racism’ campaign during the Absa Currie Cup. Teams wore the slogan on their playing jerseys during one round of the competition and the slogan was painted in the in-goal areas for the second half of the tournament.Â
“Racism is not just rugby’s problem – it is a South African problem and this is rugby’s approach to tackling it,” explained Mr Hoskins.Â
“It was the feeling of SA Rugby and our stakeholders that we would be failing in our responsibility as a sport if we didn’t continue to address this issue.Â
“Other sports codes around the world – particularly in soccer – have faced up to the issue and it’s time that South African rugby did too.”
