Lucky Sithole
Igama eselihlukunyezwe kakhulu elithi “ingqalabutho” selithathwa njengegama elijwayelekile, kodwa kuWillie John McBride libaluleke kakhulu.
Phakathi kwempumelelo yalokhu (okungenzeka) ukuthi kukhululwe umbhoxo omkhulu kunayo yonke, isikhundla sakhe sokuba ngukaputeni nomchithi omkhulu ngesikhathi amaBritish Lions angaleso sikhathi ehlula amaBhokobhoko ngowezi-1974.
Futhi umbono wakhe wohambo lweB&I Lions tour awehli kahle.
“Umbhedo, umbhedo ophelele,” kusho uMcBride (indoda yase-Ireland) itshela abe-PlanetRugby. “Bekufanele luhlehliswe. Umqondo wamaLions usumoshiwe. Manje sekumayelana nemali kuphela.”
Uyanezela: “Uhlobo luni lohambo lapho kungeke kube khona abalandeli? Lokhu akukhona ukuvakasha. Uma kunemali embalwa abazoyenza, bayagijima bahlele uhambo.”
Uveza amaphuzu amaningi avumelekile. Ngabe umdlalo wombhoxo ngaphandle kwesixuku usengumdlalo wombhoxo? Umbuzo omuhle. Ingabe sekumayelana nemali? Kungenzeka.
Ingabe kufanele uhlehliswe njengoba esho?
Mhlawumbe hhayi. Sekuphele iminyaka eyi-12 iB&I Lions yagcina ukudlala namaBhokobhoko. Ama-Olimpiki adlalwa njalo eminyakeni emine, kanjalo neNdebe Yomhlaba Yebhola Lombhoxo. Iminyaka emine yisikhathi eside kabi (ngokungafani ne-Rugby Championship ebonakala ifika njalo ngempelasonto). Kunabadlali abebebancane kakhulu ngowezi-2009 futhi labo badlali abafanayo kungenzeka ukuthi sebebadala kakhulu namhlanje.
Mhlawumbe ezingeni le-boardroom kumayelana nemali, kodwa ezinsizweni ezisensimini kuyithuba lesikhathi esisodwa empilweni yabo.
Yebo, siphila ezikhathini ezinzima. Yebo, kufanele siwubuke umdlalo sigqoke izifonyo noma sihleli ekhaya sodwa phambi komabonakude – kodwa kusengumdlalo ophakathi kweBritish Irish Lions neSpringboks (engingasho ukuthi, bangompetha beNdebe Yomhlaba wonke yebhola Lombhoxo). Kungumlando kakhulu kunakuqala.
Futhi kuzoba nezinsizwa ezizimisele enkundleni yebhola lombhoxo, zingacabangi nakancane ngemali, zidlala ngayo yonke intshisekelo uMcBride ayibala embhalweni wakhe wangowezi-1974.
Kaputeni McBride siyakuhlonipha, kodwa sicabanga ukuthi uphuthelwa isithombe esikhulu.
Umthombo wesithombe: @ lorraineelizab6