Controversial South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) president Oregan Hoskins will hand Rugby World Cup participation caps to members of the United States Eagles team when they are welcomed in Wanganui on Sunday.
Hoskins will be the RWC director for the Wanganui visit - all towns and cities hosting teams will have a RWC director handing out the caps.
Accompanying him as top New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) officials will be Chris Moller and independent NZRU board member Bob Field, who comes from Feilding. The cap presentation will be part of a powhiri at Putiki Marae, before the American team is given a ceremonial waka ride to the Waimarie berth for a public welcome.
Hoskins was appointed Sarfu president in 2006 and has been occasionally embroiled in controversy for various stances - his desire to see more black players in the Springboks and in his country's Super 15 teams, his stance against Australian and New Zealand referees among them.
He has also been interested in promoting a South African version of the All Blacks' haka - his version to be based on a kind of traditional Zulu or Xhosa war dance. Hoskins apparently believes that would help more people identify with the sport, which is behind football in popularity in South Africa.
