The saga between Jaque Fourie, the Lions and Western Province will in all likelihood come to an end within the next two weeks.

Fourie has made it clear that he has no desire in continuing his career with the Johannesburg side. After a lengthy career with the red and white, this process must be leaving a bad taste in most Lions supporter’s mouths. Western Province has made a habit of luring Lions players to the Cape with more money and a promise of a better lifestyle.

Fourie is still under contract with the Lions until October 2010 and although he is employed as a “technical advisor”, he has received and accepted his salary on a monthly basis which automatically makes the contract valid. It has been confirmed that Fourie has not attended any training sessions with the Lions since returning from Springbok duty.

Western Province has broken SARU regulations by approaching Fourie without the consent of the GLRU and should be taken to task. But this in all probability will disappear into the night and nothing will be done.

Saying that Fourie needs to honour his contract with the Lions and finish out his time with them is naïve and ignorant. Having the opportunity to earn more, and providing your family with a settled and secure future is every player’s right. Yes, the union honoured the contract when Fourie was injured and didn’t feature for more than half the Super 14, but this is part of the risk and investment the union decided to make in Fourie.

The question is not if Fourie should go, the question should rather be, that maybe there is something wrong with the whole negotiation and transfer process in rugby union. Every player should have the right to earn more money. If his current union cannot match or offer more, then why should the player honour his contract? It’s preventing the player from having a better quality of life.

What should happen, is that Western Province should buy out Fourie’s contract and pay the GLRU an agreed upon transfer fee. In this scenario Fourie will have his wish, and the GLRU will have a return on their investment. It’s maybe time for Rugby union to take a leaf out of Football and the processes involved in contracting and selling players.

It’s not a question of honour or doing the right thing. It’s business.

59 Responses to To honour or not to honour

  • 31

    Always thought that JF would never leave the Lions. Just goes to show money talks.

    Would have been a great centre pair if JdV was still there.

    Now hope the Lions get Tuquire before WP get him :-))

  • 32

    @Pietman – 30

    Morning Piet, Feel really mad that we out of the cricket. We need to get our act together for when England tour here in December.

  • 33

    30@Pietman
    môre pietman
    nie seker presies waar hy gewoon het nie, maar dit kan redelik na aan my wees

  • 34

    One has to question the role of the agent in this.

    FFS is their job not to look after the interest of their client first???

    This washing their dirties in public is doing Jaque’s reputation unlimited damage.

  • 35

    @Puma
    Tell me about it….ontop of which I forgot to make my pick :-((

  • 36

    @Pietman – 35

    Probably one pick you are pleased to have forgot to do..hehe.

    I never done my picks on last Friday when we beat NZ. Lost my internet in the morning then was out for the whole day. Probably would have to that one right, always chose SA to win.

    I am not getting much right with the Cricket on SuperBru :teeth:

  • 37

    What i don’t understand is why there is such a big whoha everytime WP buys players from the Lions. You don’t see these problems when The Sharks or Bulls buy players.

    There is a right and wrong way to do things, and i think i know who does it right and who does it wrong.

  • 38

    Oordragsfooie is in plek vir spelers met geldige kontrakte. Die WP wil nie aan die Leeus oordrag betaal nie. So eenvoudig as dit.

  • 39

    @SA Barbarians
    What happened to your Criceters ?
    & what does that say about the Black Caps ? 😥

    @Puma
    Yes Autumn, although at 33 degrees & 95% humidity it is hard to tell … :sun: + :rain: + :thunder:

  • 40

    Morning…Lets try these smileys… :reallypissed: That one is for our Cricket team…

  • 41

    @Polla

    Not 😯 + :sick: ?

  • 42

    @Rugby_Princess – 39

    The most acceptable explanation I can think of is that they may have felt that the Bok’s continious winning have become boring…

    It would have been more palatable had they taken that stance against your Black Caps than against the Poms though 🙂

  • 43

    @SA Barbarians

    Oohh … like a :knife: straight to my :brokenheart: !

    How cruel can a Saffa be ?

  • 44

    @Polla – 40

    More Polla – dink daai smiley is dalk ietwat vleiend vir hulle hehehe

  • 45

    @Rugby_Princess – 43

    Nooooooooo!! That was a clumsy attempt at paying you a compliment – in a clumsy way…. 🙂

  • 46

    @SA Barbarians – I mean, we were discussing cricket here, right?

    OK next topic please? 🙂

  • 47

    @SA Barbarians

    Ja, so you say now 🙄

  • 48

    @Rugby_Princess – #41 Nope…just :reallypissed: ! The Poms :poop: all over our bowling attack!

  • 49

    @SA Barbarians
    Is it true Lots Tequila is coming your way ? 😯

    Dont take others left overs – you guys are better than that ! Or if you do, lock up your daughters ! 😆

  • 50

    @Polla

    Sorry Polla, from what I read that bowling was not exactly an “attack” …

    My biggest fear was to lose to them at rugby … Oohh the shame of it all could be unbearable :pain: But hopefully the boys have found their mojo & can go on their EOYT with confidence !

  • 51

    @Polla – 48

    Geez, I thought that was a birth mark Dale Steyn had on his face.

  • 52

    I think its truly a rumour about Lotsa Tequila. There are plenty enough wings in WP. If Rassie an Co are really interested in him I am going to be very dissapointed in their planning and logic!

  • 53

    @Rugby_Princess – It was an “attack” on my cricket loving senses to see them bowl so badly!..Anyway, I think there will be a few surprizes on the EOYT. Somebody mentioned Pietersen as a possible choice at fullback, but he must still beef up his defence in my opinion. He is still going in to high for a tackle and getting handed off like a naughty primary schoolboy!

  • 54

    @Polla

    Yes, I can picture you rolling around on the floor clutching your face bellowing “Blind ! I’m blind” after watchign that …

    😀

  • 55

    @Rugby_Princess – Close image!, but actually I was drowning my face in a big goblet of wine!…going “glug glug glug”..hoping to erase the images from my memory!

  • 56

    @Polla

    Sounds reminiscent of my grandad who succumbed to drowning in a vat of Irish Whiskey. A sad tale of epic proportions it was – Emergency Services made three valiant attempts to save him, but each & every time he fought them off heroically …

  • 57

    @Rugby_Princess – and apparently he climbed out twice to have a slash! :laugh:

  • 58

    What is the point of haveing a legal contract if it is not binding or am a being naive in thinking a contract should be binding and as for buying a player out of his contract, that should be a given.

  • 59

    Willa, ek stem saam met die transfer fooi idee. Om net te se hy het die reg om meer geld te verdien is in my oë ook verkeerd. Dit is hoekom dit ‘n kontrak is met sekere eskalasies in gebou. Ek glo ook die transfer moet hoog wees sodat ‘n unie soos WP nie net links en regs kan inmeng met ouens se kontrakte nie, dit is baie onprofesioneeel en dit los ‘n slegte smaak in die WP ondersteuners se monde(het hulle nie altyd so ‘n smaak nie 🙂 )

    Ek glo steeds hulle moet ‘n gesonde boete ontvang deur spelers te kontak en teen protocol te gaan.

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