BJ Botha, Frans Steyn, Jean de Villiers, Butch James, Joe van Niekerk, Shaun Sowerby, Marius Joubert, Luke Watson, Daan Human, Faan Rautenbach, Brent Russel, Neil de Kock, Michael Claasens, CJ van der Linde, Robbie Diack, Ross Skeate, Gcobani Bobo, Schalk Brits, Ernst Joubert, Marco Wentzel, Jacques Cronje and countless other lesser known players.

Week in and week out we have to hear the constant muttering and moaning of SA Rugby fans, “Oh if only this and this player came back, oh what are we going to do now that this player is playing overseas? Why can’t Peter de Villiers just select the overseas guys? All our talent is playing overseas because of quotas. “
Bullshit…say I!!!

Around 352 professional rugby players ply their trade on a weekly basis Super 14 and Vodacom Cup action for South Africa, this excludes the various injured players watching from the sidelines, the players not in the match 22, the age-group players and even the Varsity Cup players.

Think about this, only considering players in the match 22’s, it is approximately (read well, APPROXIMATELY):

62 Props,
32 Hookers,
48 Locks,
56 Looseforwards,
24 Scrumhalves,
22 Flyhalves,
40 Centres
68 Outside Backs.

Are we seriously saying, that nowhere in the whole country, are we able to identify and develop a youngster, to grow into a position of influence on the field? Within an array of 62 front-rowers, we do not have the ability to develop even one into an international star? Are we actually trying? Or are we only trying to take the easy way out?

To even consider using overseas based players is an insult to every registered rugby player in South Africa, from school level up. There is absolutely no position in which we do not have a better local player than an overseas based one, (Inside Centre might be the exception, but not for long).

SARU needs to have a look at their structures, and whether they are doing enough to develop existing talent. The Scrum Factory is step in the right direction, but why not go even further?

Establish a National High Performance Rugby Academy. Invite at least 60 of the most promising talents from around SA to join the Academy under the tutorship of a number of professional coaches and conditioning experts appointed by SARU. Get them to hone raw talent into actual rugby players, get them into the mindset of the life of a professional rugby player.

Now, introduce a drafting system, whereby each franchise has the opportunity to approach these players and offer them junior contracts with the union. Obviously a transfer fee will be paid to the Academy, which will be one way of funding it. The junior contracts are to be equal in size, in other words, a financially powerful union, will pay the same as a smaller one, and each union can only approach a set number of players.

In this way you can ensure that talent is divided equally amongst the franchises, and that all franchises are benefitting and have an opportunity, to develop their sides. As this will be a South African initiative, a number of strong franchises is in the interest of SA Rugby as a whole.

Once a year, make available a transfer window, where unions get the opportunity to approach a number these junior players from each other’s unions, for senior contracts. However, here is the catch, a union cannot merely buy a player to get him off the market and add to its depth. A buy should coincide with actual game time in the senior set-up, as per contractual arrangement, and not just hanging around with the juniors waiting for injuries to make the step up.

It might be a pie in the sky dream, but I believe a move like this, will ensure that rugby in SA stays fresh, and that talent isn’t slipping through the cracks unnecessarily.

So by all means, a player can play where he wants, for whom he wants, for as long as he wants, because South Africa will be developing their replacements, and returning would not be as easy as once thought.

128 Responses to The Overseas Conundrum

  • 121

    Morne sorry i really dont understand what your plan could do for some of the teams, take the Lions.

    Bulls released Burton Francis to them, because we had too many promising no 10s. What did they do to him, he was a short head behind Morne. I know he had injuries but they showed their hand already.

    I can go on and on but is it not only bad management, bad buying , bad coaching that leave the others behind. Even the Stormers had to break the bank to get 2 of the best in the WORLD there to swing things for them.

  • 122

    Super I dont really get what you are saying…

    If you are saying the Lions are managed like shit at the moment you will not find me arguing with you.

    If you believe the Stormers’ turn around is only because of two signings I believe you are being shortsighted – that is Cheetahs mentality where they can only play if a guy like Juan is in the team being useless most other times – eventually however always ending somewhere at the bottom of the log.

    Simply put, there are problems in how the game is managed in SA, there is problems with our current structures. 80% of our unions being bankrupt shows this.

    Just because the Bulls are part of the 20% not in this category, does not make everything right.

    And for the record, if the Stormers win the Super 14 this year and for the next 3 years, I will say exactly the same thing…

  • 123

    Morne that 2 is the last pieces in your puzzle. The signings and building started long ago when Rassie was appointed.

    I tell you this if Mossie and Habana is out of that team when we play the Stormers i am willing to bet quite a lot that the Stormers will LOOSE

  • 124

    If you said Schalk, Francoise Louw or Tiaan Liebenberg I might have actually agreed with you.

  • 125

    Look make no mistake, experience is vital, one just has to look at the Super rugby caps at the Bulls, and Habs and Mossie is definitely an asset to them, as they would be to any team – but they are not the sole reason for success.

  • 126

    Gents I am out, lovely evening to all of you!

  • 127

    Morne i know you know much more of the inner works of rugby union. I have never been inside the boardrooms or even in Loftuses hall ways. But for me it is plain and simple.

    When was Vadacom Park in Bloem full, when was Absa staduim full to the rafters, why is Newlands full lately. We all know why Loftus is full.

    Winning, win and the stadiums is full.

    The money flows in. The Cheetahs have a great decade in CC and they are on their way up again, Vodacom Cup final might be followed by a good CC campaign. Even this years S14 can turn out as one of their best, if they win the last 2 it will be bloody great. 3 wins and a draw is already goodish.

    I feel there is another way thats all.

    I wont chop the tallest tree down so that the others look in line. I say try and get your house in order and try and emulate the success of the Bulls.

  • 128

    125
    I never said that, but take them out plus Fondse, plus Eusebio Guinazu plus Anton van Zyl plus….

    The fact is they have assembled a good team, the results must come now or else they will have to shop more. Or build up that experience.

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