Go Mulattos! Rah, rah, rah!

It’s early morning in the United Arab Emirates, and I’m watching my “TiVo” broadcast of South African Currie Cup Rugby. One of the teams competing in the Curry Cup is the Griquas.

South African Rugby has made great strides since the lifting of the Apartheid boycotts in the 1990’s. Many more Blacks and Coloureds (mixed race citizens) are participating as players and as fans. The major domestic club competition is the Currie Cup. And here in the UAE I can watch the competition on the OSN network. This is a wonderful joy for me, a rabid rugby fan.

There are a number of rugby clubs out in the world with some really interesting and unique names. Rabbitohs, Saracens, Scarlets, Rovers, Rowdies, and the Griquas. I was intrigued and decided to find out just what a ‘griqua’ was. And I was surprised.

Griquas were a group of mixed-race pioneers who settled north central South Africa in the area around the great, historic, diamond-mining city of Kimberly. Wow! In South Africa where for YEARS being white was the only way to be, a major sports teams was named after a lower caste. Imagine, if you will, the New Orleans Quadroons, or the Atlanta Mulattos? Of course in America, we do have the Fighting Whites, Fighting Irish and the Redskins. Of course, the difference in America is that we have that certain group of ‘politically correct’ people who object to naming sports teams for proud, warrior groups that attempt to demonstrate the warrior spirit displayed on the field of play.

So, I have to say “Go Griquas!” And if I ever get the opportunity to form another sports team or club, I’m gonna name it the Octoroons, Aboriginals, Mustefinos, or Half-Breeds. What is the shame? None, unless you’re ashamed of your non-white ancestry.

It seems tragic to me that one should be so ashamed of one’s ancestry that you WOULDN’T want someone to name their organization for you. The ONLY group I could ever believe would be shameful to name your team for would be the ‘Nazis.’