Springbok Icon Ollie Le Roux Doesn't like Black Lives Matter

- Former Springbok and Rugby World Cup champion Ollie Le Roux has revealed that he does not agree with the Black Lives Matter movement

- He believes that the movement will do more harm than good by causing greater divisions within society

- He supports the fringe ‘All Lives Matter’ movement, which champions the rights of other allegedly marginalised groups within South Africa

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Springbok legend Ollie le Roux has thrown his weight behind the fringe ‘All Lives Matter’ movement, which champions the rights of other groups who are being allegedly marginalised.

Ollie understands that with the right to free speech there comes a responsibility not to do any harm, he nevertheless has taken a stance opposing the Black Lives Matter movement.

Briefly.co.za reported that recently, sports minister Nathi Mthethwa asked Rugby SA to explain what it plans to do about eight South African rugby players in England who refused to kneel to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

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“One must look at the values under which BLM started, and it’s a political venture, which I personally don’t like,” Le Roux, who played 54 Tests for the Boks between 1994 and 2002, said yesterday.

“But people’s freedom of speech should be respected, and in our constitution there’s room provided for the freedom of association.”

Le Roux has taken a position which is opposite to many South African celebrities and athletes who have voiced their support for BLM.

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The former Springbok has said that in some cases white South Africans have become targets in the new South Africa.

“I think a discussion must be held to fully understand the black pain, but the other side of the coin is the farm murders which have caused a lot of white pain, and the Anglo Boer War (between 1899 and 1902) where houses were burned down,” Le Roux said.

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“If we can get to the point where we can understand one another’s pain and suffering, then there will be a lot more compassion.”

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Le Roux fears that the BLM movement will create further divisions in an already fractured South African society.

“I think BLM is burning more bridges than what it builds,” he said.

“I think everyone has the right to express their views, but I think we must agree that all lives matter while having compassion all-round for other races and their pain of the past.”

Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa has asked Rugby South Africa to reveal what actions they are going to take against eight South African players who are currently playing in England.

The eight players refused to take the knee before a match to show support for the Black Lives Matter anti-racism movement.

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The players who did not kneel include Springboks Faf de Klerk and Lood de Jager, twins Jean-Luc and Daniel Dupreez and their older brother Robert. The others are Akker van der Merwe‚ Coenie Oosthuizen and club captain Jono Ross.

The incident took place shortly before an English Premiership game. It was when the Harlequins took on Sale Sharks that 11 players from the Manchester club refused to kneel, eight of them being South African.

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