Former Springbok Captain Wynand Claassen blasts flag furore, ’Chappie’ kit, and ‘G&T' board room brigade

Former Springbok Captain Wynand Claassen has mauled the South African government for its sluggishness in updating anti-doping regulations. This blunder could've had the Proteas and Springboks playing without their national flag. In a candid interview with BizNews, Claassen is incredulous that the Department of Culture and Sport allowed two international competitions to proceed without sorting out these crucial regulations. He doesn't hold back on SA and World Rugby Boards either, slamming the Springboks' "Chappie" kit worn during the Rugby World Cup. Following an open letter to World Rugby, Claassen and his "partner-in-crime," former Bok captain Tommy Bedford, launched a blistering attack on the so-called "Gin and Tonic Board Room Brigade." Claassen asserts that World Rugby administrators live differently from professional rugby's gritty reality. The maze of rules they have introduced drives fans and aspiring rugby stars away from the sport. For the sport's excessive yellow and red cards, he offers a bold alternative to reduce head clashes and make the game safer for players. Claassen also calls on ex-players and seasoned captains who genuinely grasp the game to have a louder voice in shaping its future. Regarding his ongoing battle to declare Newlands Stadium in Cape Town a heritage site, he is not backing off, much like he did during his rugby-playing days as an indomitable eighth-man