SOUTH AFRICAN rugby was rocked yesterday by the resignations of national selector Ray Mordt and South African Rugby Football Union (SARFU) executive committee member Keith Parkinson, in response to Springbok captain Francois Pienaar being dropped.

The resignations came as rugby fans across the country expressed outrage at the weekend decision by national coach Andre Markgraaff to omit the 29 year old Pienaar from the 36 man Springbok squad to tour Argentina. France and Wales.

Mordt said he was resigning with immediate effect as he had nothing more to do" with the national team.

"The coach gets the team he wants," he said. I'm finished as a selector and I feel that I must concentrate on Transvaal. Mordt is coach of the Transvaal premier league team.

Sources close to the SARFU said Markgraaff bulldozed Pienaar's sacking through the selection panel and Mordt was left with no alternative but to offer his resignation.

Markgraaff explained, it was because Pienaar, who captained South Africa in each of his 29 tests 19 of them victories for the side "does not form part of my future vision for South African rugby."

Parkinson, who is also Natal Rugby Union (NRU) president, lambasted Saturday's announcement of the Springbok squad for the tour.

"I wish to disassociate myself and the NRU from the embarrassing and utterly shambolic SARFU news conference, which turned into an other public relations disaster for South African rugby," he said.

Journalists were kept waiting for hours on Saturday as SARFU executives tried to contact union president Louis Luyt to give the team his blessing before announcing it.

"Given the consistently erratic selection process, I now have extreme difficulty in accepting and condoning the new face of South African rugby," Parkinson said.

Markgraaff, meanwhile, yesterday defended his decision to axe Pienaar. "I'm prepared to take the flak, but I'm taking a team on tour to win on the field," he told reporters following a meeting with senior Test players at Loftus Versfeld rugby ground in Pretoria.

SARFU spokesman Alex Broun defended Markgraaff's decision but acknowledged some top players were upset. If you look at the team, it's a very strong side to play an exciting, open brand of rugby yet there are going to be sacrifices to pay. But Andre must be given the chance to do what he believes is best," Broun said.

A poll conducted elicited a flood of comment from rugby mad South Africans who voted overwhelmingly in support of retaining Pienaar as captain.

A total of 67,522 callers backed Pienaar and called for Markgraaff to step down while 3,136 voted the other way.

The Springboks have struggled to attain their World Cup heights this year, losing five out of seven Tests against New Zealand and Australia.

The record this year included losing their first home Test series ever to the All Blacks. Pienaar did not play in the series due to injury and was replaced as captain by number eight Gary Teichmann, who was named as captain for the November tour.

Markgraaff sparked controversy during that series when he refused to select winger James Small, accusing him of in discipline and failing to get along with his fellow Springboks. Small was back in the squad named on Saturday.