Times change but not, it appears, in South African rugby.

The South African Rugby Union blatantly reneged on its deal with new Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, the first black man to hold the post.

It has emerged that the contract details which were hammered out weeks ago have now been altered again by SA Rugby. At the heart of the issue are both the salary offer and a new refusal to allow De Villiers final say on selection of the Springbok squad.

De Villiers has been cruelly mucked about by SA Rugby’s masters. And you have to ask, is it not a naked question of race? Having recently agreed that he would, after all, be paid the same as his (white) predecessor, Jake White, and would have final say on selection, the contract was due to have been signed.

But at the last moment, following a board meeting, SA Rugby officials moved the goalposts. De Villiers was told that two selectors would help choose the team and the coach would not have final say on which 22 he wanted for his match day squad.

Furthermore, he has now been offered a reduced salary. The performance clauses in the deal represented, in the words of one insider, “the longest suicide note in sporting history.”

“We thought all this was finally agreed and were ready to sign. But now the whole thing is back to square one,” said a De Villiers aide. “Peter is being humiliated and they’re trying to force him to resign. That’s what they want.”

De Villiers must wonder what on earth he has let himself in for. But the damage done to South African rugby by its own board is incalculable. Overseas rugby officials and observers must wonder about the state of SA Rugby if they cannot even appoint a new coach and tie up promptly and professionally his basic contract details.

But what is it about those who run rugby’s national unions? Look at the mess the IRFU have landed themselves in by giving Eddie O’Sullivan a four-year contract before the last World Cup.

The problem? Amateurs interfering in a professional sport. It can never work.