Straeuli survives as Bok boss - for now

Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli will keep his job – at least until the board of SA Rugby convenes on December 4.

Straeuli survived today’s emergency meeting in Johannesburg but will have to give a full account of the now infamous “Kamp Staaldraad” (Camp Steelwire) which the team used to prepare for the World Cup.

There was a public outcry this week after photographs of dirty and naked players sitting in a pit were published in national newspapers – while television programmes also showed footage of the Springboks being forced to pump up rugby balls underwater in a freezing lake.

The board took no decision on Straeuli’s future and are waiting for the coach himself to account for what happened as part of his World Cup report.

“His report is not yet available, and we have requested that the incidents at Kamp Staaldraad be fully addressed in this report as well,” said SA Rugby managing director Rian Oberholzer.

“The coach has a contract until 2005, and we have a duty to give him a chance (to defend himself).”