There was a time in our country when rugby was considered the preserve of strong white men, especially Afrikaners.

There was a time in our country when rugby was considered the preserve of strong white men, especially Afrikaners.

Apartheid ensured the sport was as alien as ice hockey to the black majority.

In fact, apartheid frustrated many excellent black rugby players and administrators, preventing them from realising their full potential.

But watching and playing rugby still came naturally to many black people, especially in the Cape and Eastern Cape.

It should, therefore, come as no surprise that the country can find a black person good enough to coach the Springboks this early in its young democracy.

Readers of this column will remember that we recently praised the Boks for winning the World Cup.

But we also bemoaned the fact that they remained largely lily-white and we called for rugby to be transformed.

In Peter de Villiers, SA Rugby has found the right person to help it cross the Rubicon.

He needs the necessary support to make a success of his challenging job.

By conquering the world, Jake White raised the bar very high for his successor. De Villiers has very big shoes to fill indeed.

He should be allowed to apply his wisdom, take risks and learn from his mistakes with the full knowledge that the country deserves nothing short of success.