Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says race had no role to play in his decision to appoint Siya Kolisi as captain for the series against England next month.
Kolisi will become the first black player to lead the Springboks in its 127-year history and Erasmus said he was the obivous choice because of his leadership qualities.
“I know Siya is a good leader and I am excited about what he can offer us‚” Erasmus told the Times.
“I coached him since he was 18 years old when he arrived at the Stormers from the Eastern Cape and through the academy until he played for the Stormers.
“I know him as a good rugby player
“This year he has gone through some tough times with form as captain of the Stormers but he is a great leader.
“I like him because he is humble‚ he is quiet and the way he is playing at the moment he is not flashy.
“With the breakdown work he is doing in attack‚ the carries and clean ups‚ he is playing almost like a blindside flanker.
“Before I was appointed‚ I have always understood all the transformation issues and that they are part of the way we are heading and I have bought into that.
“We are trying to fix all the wrong things that were done in the past.
“The recent things that happened did not have a bearing on this decision because my contract was signed long before.
“The players we have in this squad deserve to be here and I am not trying to fabricate things.”
Erasmus did not confirm whether Kolisi would stay on as captain when Warren Whiteley and Eben Etzebeth return from injury.
“He (Kolisi) is most of the time available and it makes common sense that he is given this responsibility against England with Warren and Eben still out injured‚” he said.
Meanwhile, Pieter-Steph du Toit has been selected as captain for this weekend’s clash with Wales in Washington and is someone that Erasmus sees as a potential Springbok captain of the future.
“I just think that for the first match against Wales‚ Pieter-Steph will be a good leader and he is someone who will be a good captain in the future‚” Erasmus added.
“He is not an old guy.
“He will play for a few more years and the way we want to play against Wales he is the ideal candidate.”
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