Ever since South Africa were re-admitted to international rugby in 1992, transformation has been a dirty word.

Many administrators have preached how South African is undergoing transformation, but does anybody actually know what transformation means?

A token black winger in a side is not transformation, neither is window dressing or giving opportunities to those who aren’t ready for them.

So just what is transformation? In my mind it is about providing opportunities to players, administrators and other personnel who have the potential to offer something to South African rugby. An example is the long round trips a player like Jongi Nokwe had to make at Boland, and actually selecting the guy as I still believe he is the fastest player we have in South Africa.

Quotas don’t work, mostly because they are used incorrectly. Rather than legislating how many coloured and blacks players need to be in a side, give young guys chances to show they deserve places based on merit.

In my mind the (most forward thinking South African rugby union) Bulls have just shown South African rugby one way to transform.

Although circumstances dictated that the Bulls had to move from Fortress Loftus (because of the FIFA World Cup), the Bulls management and players have been instrumental in making the move to Orlando Stadium a massive success.

The administrators made a bold move, and the players have embraced the challenge, but most importantly their genuine desire to move to Soweto and make a difference is plain to see.

The locals have done their part as well. There have been scores of vuvuzelas blaring, boeremusiek playing and thousands of Bulls fans of all colour, embracing one another for a common purpose.

The effect on the people of Soweto, the people of South Africa and the world cannot be underestimated. The young black kid may remember this occasion for years and decide to take up rugby, the white Afrikaaners making the trip to Soweto may finally see there is nothing to fear, and the gesture by the Bulls shows we can all live in harmony in South Africa and embrace the power of what each has to offer to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

One such influence was the former wife of Nelson Mandela and an icon of Soweto, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela who surprised the Bulls with a visit to their changerooms after the semi-final victory.

Madikizela-Mandela invited the side to her home and said “nobody visits Soweto and doesn’t come to my home”.

One can also sense the genuine appreciation the Bulls felt as Victor Matfield said the occasion was a highlight and one he’ll remember for a long long time. “It has been getting more special every minute of the day and it was very nice meeting her (Madikizela-Mandela) again. She has invited us to her house so hopefully we can go there this week and get some of the culture of Soweto” said Matfield.

“Loftus is still our home but this place is amazing. The vuvuzelas and the boeremusiek made it a special day for us and a really special day for South Africa to see how far we have come. It is really awesome. I really enjoyed my 100th game for the Bulls” continued Matfield.

This was the true spirit of transformation. Black and White and anyone in between coming together on a great occasion that will leave its mark for many years to come.