An urgent court application has been launched by a little known political party to prevent the Springboks from participating in the 2015 World Cup.

Agency for New Agenda (ANA)‚ formerly known as South Africa First, says rugby is still dominated by whites‚ and that the Bok team does not fully represent the majority of South Africans.

The respondents in the matter are the minister of sport Fikile Mbalula and Saru. The matter is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday in the Pretoria High Court before Justice Mavundla.

Mbalula's spokesman told The Times that the department would oppose the application.

'We'll stand alongside Saru to ensure that the national team travels to the World Cup,' he said.

A Saru spokeman said: 'We have received notification and will contest the application.'

ANA has also written to World Rugby requesting that South Africa be suspended.

In its letter‚ the party charges that South African rugby 'was‚ and still is a white man’s sport‚ excluding and marginalising the majority Black population' and calls upon the international body to 'to take a stance and condemn‚ unreservedly‚ the continued exclusion and marginalisation of black South Africans from the national team.

'We call upon you to suspend‚ with immediate effect‚ the membership of South Africa from your organisation and to bar the participation of South Africa from the World Rugby World Cup 2015.'

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