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UPDATED: Seagulls To Blame For South Africa’s Rugby World Cup Loss To Japan?

By Anne Sewell
Published on: 08:02 PST, Sep 22, 2015

South Africa was defeated by Japan in the Rugby World Cup Saturday. Now it is being said that seagulls are to blame. This has since been revealed to be untrue. The story of the seagulls which has been shared widely on the social media is inaccurate. The Inquisitr has now published an update on the story with more information.

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According to Eye Witness News, Springbok team officials are reportedly furious that the team’s training was disrupted by up to 100 seagulls and their droppings.

Reportedly, the South African team had been in training at Eastbourne College, a private school in Sussex, England. Richard Maryan, head groundsman at the college, told the media he had to hire a Harris hawk by the name of George to scare away the many gulls that were, apparently, dive bombing and messing up the pitch.

“We had more than 100 gulls on the pitch after we had cut the grass and they were making a horrendous mess.”

How this actually affected the Springbok players in their training is not mentioned, but apparently some hard-line Springbok fans in South Africa are now using the presence of the 100 or so seagulls as an excuse for the team’s loss to the Japanese team, a big shock to both fans and World Cup history in general.

In the meantime, various humorous memes are still doing the rounds of the social media platforms, mocking the loss by South Africa to Japan.

Besides the seagulls, aspects of the makeup of the South African team have been blamed for the loss, including the ages of the players. News24 quotes ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe in South Africa as saying that the Springbok rugby team cannot be expected to win if it continues to put “pensioners” on the field.

Using Springbok captain Jean de Villiers as an example, Mantashe told reporters in Johannesburg, South Africa, “The issue is the composition of the overall team.”

According to him, De Villiers was not match fit, as he hasn’t played one single Super Rugby game this season and that out of “loyalty” de Villiers have been given play time.

“[Heyneke Meyer] must not put pensioners on the field. He must give young players a chance to play, he will win matches. We have an opportunity.

“There is a lot of talent. It’s young, it’s fresh, it’s hungry. They must just be given a chance.”

Despite the fact that the Springbok team lost to Japan, the ANC is urging South Africa to continue supporting the team, who play against Samoa on September 26. It just has to be hoped no seagulls affect their training this time.

[Photo: Springboks training session by Gallo Images / Getty Images Sport]

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