Ek sal maar die berig copy paste soos Voldy se manne doen!
World Cup-winning Springbok wing Bryan Habana will continue to play his rugby in South Africa for the next two years, but it will be in the colours of Western Province and the Stormers.
rugby365.com can reveal that Habana has accepted an offer from WP to move from Pretoria to Cape Town for a contract that will run until 2011.
Bernie Habana, father of the Bok wing, confirmed on Sunday that Habana Jnr will be playing his domestic and Super Rugby in Cape Town for the next two years.
“Some details of the contract still has to be sorted out, but Bryan has decided that Cape Town is where it is at,” Habana Snr said, adding: “Those details will be sorted out in the next few days [before he departs with the Boks for Australasia on Tuesday].”
This follows less than a week after he arrived in Cape Town, last Monday, for ‘explorative talks’ with Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus.
Habana, winner of both the International Rugby Board and South African Rugby Union Player of the Year awards for 2007, also had an offer to stay with the Blue Bulls in Pretoria and had talks with the Bulls last Sunday.
And as rugby365.com revealed last week, apart from the offers from the Blue Bulls (Pty) Ltd and WP Rugby (Pty) Ltd, there were no other written offers on the table. This was despite recent reports that suggested French Top 14 outfit Bayonne was leading the chase for his signature.
The 26-year-old try machine, Habana – who was one of the key players in South Africa’s 2-1 victory in the series against the British and Irish Lions earlier this year as well as the 2-0 whitewash over the All Blacks this month – has been repeatedly linked with a switch to Europe.
But this has all proved to be unfounded media speculation.
The decision to move to Cape Town follows after the Stormers head coach, Erasmus, made contact with Habana.
Erasmus made the initial approach, to determine if there is any interest from the Bok flyer, and they then met last Monday.
The Bulls, who managed to retain the services of fellow World Cup winner Wynand Olivier, despite moves to also lure him to Cape Town, will now look towards 20-year-old flyer Gerhard van den Heever to fill the void left by Habana’s departure.
Van den Heever and Springbok Akona Ndungane, who fractured his leg at the weekend, are the top wings in Pretoria at present. Van den Heever, who has come through the Bulls ranks and played for all their age-group teams, played for South Africa in the International Rugby Board Junior World Championships earlier this year.
Despite making it a “top priority” for them to retain the services of Habana, the Bulls also made it clear they won’t be offering him “outrageous amounts” to stay in Pretoria.
WP, apart from losing out in the race to sign the Bulls midfielder, Olivier, have also recently lost the services of Springbok midfielder Jean de Villiers to Irish province Munster.
De Villiers was present at Munster’s pre-season match against Guinness Premiership club Sale Sharks at Musgrave Park last weekend.
The Springbok centre was on a two-day tour of the Munster set-up before returning to the South Africa Tri-Nations squad last week.
WP and the Golden Lions are currently also in a tug-of-war over the services of another World Cup-winning midfielder, Jaque Fourie, who has indicated that he is keen on joining his Bok teammate, Habana, in Cape Town.
By Jan de Koning
Whatever Jan
If this is indeed confirmed as true….that old doc craven anecdote comes to mind.
“the northern transvaalers are the only players that still play for the jersey”.
Habs first moved to the Bulls to become a better player.
He would be moving to the Cape for money and lifestyle. Not the 2 core qualities that drives the desire to become and continue to be world class.
All’s well. No big deal.
Bye bye Habana, (formally known as Habenero when he still had a bit of pace).
The best decision made here is by the Bulls management.
This is the beginning of the end for Habana, and the start of a great future for van de heever.
@tight head –
You may just be right Tightead. Time will tell.
@Supa Die Bloubul –
Well he can’t be going to WP for the rugby, no matter what his dad has told him.
So we all know it’s for the money.
Mind you without Watson at WP there may be a chance that they can start to play a team game.
We will wait and see!!
@tight head –
van den Heever have been something else in the Currie Cup so far this year. I have to admit that I would’ve liked to see Habana and van den Heever as the wings for the Bulls next season, but that will not happen now. Habana is a million times better than Naqelevuki.
@vanStraaten –
I was also looking forward to those two on the wings. We will miss Habana. At least we have loads of other stars.
@tight head –
Agree TH. Im a bit dissapointed and really think he is making a mistake. But if its just about the money, then I guess the rest dont mind.
@Supa Die Bloubul –
rest dont matter
@tight head – I cant remember the exact figures but Victor was paid R1,2M by Bulls plus add R 800 000 by another source or sponsor , now for them to pay Habs more than R2,8M to keep him here makes no sense. He is not worth that in our context, for WP maybe. You said its great work Bulls Management,i agree just wondered if we could not get another sponsor to fill the gap. But no 2,8 is too much.
And some nasty accusations that they want to fast track vd Heever is just plain stupid and malicious.
woohoo! my first post on the blog! wrt this… well im a wp boy so naturally I am overjoyed, but I do hope that the wallet isn’t a bit thin tonight. A couple of fatties wouldn’t hurt either. I guess wp are praying that they will get that R1mill payout for jean soon.
@The Experience –
Welcome! Sorry to read about your handicap! đ
Habana accepts WP offer
2009-08-23 22:06Email | Print
Heading for the Cape (File)
Pretoria â Springbok and Blue Bulls wing Bryan Habana has reportedly signed a contract to play for Western Province for the next two seasons.
The rugby365.com website reported on Sunday that Habana had accepted WPâs offer to move to the Cape.
The Bok wingâs father, Bernie, confirmed to the website that his son would play Super Rugby in Cape Town until 2011. The finer details of the contract will be ironed out before the Boks leave for their Tri-Nations tour on Tuesday.
Ian Schwartz, business manager of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, told Sport24 columnist JJ Harmse that he was surprised by the news.
âOur professional relationship with Bryan was of such a nature that I cannot believe that I have to read in the media that he is leaving. Weâre still confident that we will keep him and are working hard at it,â said Schwartz.
Beeld heard from Habanaâs team-mates that he told them by SMS on Sunday that he was leaving for WP.
This followed less than a week after Habana held âexploratory talksâ with Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus in Cape Town last Monday.
Habana also had an offer to stay with the Bulls.
@The Experience –
Replacing the intercept king with the intercept speedster.
I can tell you I’m glad I’m not Habana, I think he will take the mantle of most hated player from Luke Watson next season. I don’t have a problem with Habana moving personally, would’ve loved it if he stayed at the Bulls, but signing for our biggest enemy, the Loftus crowd will make sure he knows that they didn’t approve!
Just glad Province didn’t get their hands on Coenraad Oosthuizen. Want him mentored by Os.
“Ian Schwartz, business manager of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, told Sport24 columnist JJ Harmse that he was surprised by the news.
âOur professional relationship with Bryan was of such a nature that I cannot believe that I have to read in the media that he is leaving. Weâre still confident that we will keep him and are working hard at it,â said Schwartz”
Maybe not a clean break , some bad air?
Beeld heard from Habanaâs team-mates that he told them by SMS on Sunday that he was leaving for WP.
This followed less than a week after Habana held âexploratory talksâ with Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus in Cape Town last Monday.
Habana also had an offer to stay with the Bulls.
@superBul –
Dis Habana se pa wat so agteraf is en klaar met die media praat.
Wat van Straaten se is waar , een jaar se Habana dis soos familie , volgende is dit net geld wat tel. Wel soos ek vroeer gese het ek gun hom sy geluk en geld maar hy gaan nie so maklik afkom op Fortress Loftus nie. Ons staan by ons manne todat hulle nie meer by ons staan nie.
Said earlier by St.Petersburgbok
August 23rd, 2009 at 7:00 PM
It would be really bad news for Habana to move to Province.
I believe a career mistake. Better to have moved overseas rather.
he should know better than to move to the âAuld Enemyâ.
It will be open season.
If it is indeed correctâŠnot Bernie talking pish again.
Expect to see the Bulls recruit someone of âhigh calibreâ before next seasonâs S14.
Get BJ Botha or CJ van der linde. And it would not hurt to get another more experienced winger either.
@vanStraaten –
Think you are right. Habana wont be as popular anymore. Especially not when he comes to Loftus. But, I guess thats the choice he made and he has to live with that. I for one, wouldve wanted him to stay.
Let Jaque Fourie go with him. Both will be playing overseas within one year.
I am not keen of this intra-provincial treks by players.
It also creates a negative sense of loyalty.
I mean, how can a player who has seen Table Mountain for the first time only recently, who has never drunk vaaljapie or tasted bokkoms from the West Coast, never caught his own crayfish or dived for perlemoen, call himself a WP player?
WP’s development of their own sucks big time.
Skande!
@Pietman – I Agree Pietman. Rassie is a useless coach. All he can do is buy players.
23 @Pietman Same way a supporter who has done all those things suddenly swap it for a set of horns…
Professional era with professional players, can’t blame them for going for the money.
@Koos – đ low blow
26 @Ed_the_Lion Is true though..
Werk jy aan die nommer ding? Of sny jy al weer gras…
@Koos – Ek is besig om nou weer te probeer. Ek sal nie opgee nie.
Niks gras sny vandag nie.
28 @Ed_the_Lion Good luck then…
Voorspel 33 grade vor ons vandag, sal die warmste Augustus dag ooit wees as dit daar uitkom, kinners gister al geswem!!! En ons is middel van die winter hier đŻ
@Koos – Dit is ‘n lekker winter. Hier is dit kak warm op die oomblik. Ek het vandag weer 10 x 400 meters en 8 x 200 meters gedoen in die hutte. Dit was rof. Mens is gelukkig as dit 32 grade farenheit hier is in die winter.
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