The ongoing poaching of South Africa’s Rugby players goes ahead unabated with the announcement by English club Coventry that they have signed South African born centre Mark Hodgkiss from Maties.
Coventry already have a number of SA born players on their books and even though they only play in the 3rd tier of English Rugby, this latest signing serves to illustrate the depth of the problem facing South African Rugby.
This media release from Coventry Rugby’s website:
COVENTRY RUGBY SIGN SOUTH AFRICAN CENTRE:
Coventry Rugby are pleased to announce the signing of South African born centre Mark Hodgkiss from Stellenbosch University (Maties) side which plays in Premier League A in Cape Rugby. A member of the Maties side, Mark has appeared in the final of the University Cup for the last 2 seasons, and was part of the Western Province Currie Cup squad and Western Province 7’s squad.
Aged, 25 and standing at 6ft 2′ Mark usually plays at outside centre. A strong runner with a good defensive brain, Mark plays an off-loading game in context finding space and bringing his wingers into the game. Having completed his B.Com degree at Stellenbosch, Mark has jumped at the chance to come to England and break into the professional rugby ranks.
He is now back to full fitness after being out for 10 weeks with a broken bone in his hand and very much looks forward to being part of the Coventry squad chasing promotion to the Championship. The Coventry Rugby club has the option for Mark to stay for the coming season 2015 / 2016.
Having an Ancestral British Passport Mark is not classified as an overseas player.
Coventry Rugby wish Mark a very warm welcome to the City of Coventry and look forward to his contribution to the Coventry side in their quest for promotion.
And so the pillage of the Rugby resources continues unabated.
Don’t know this youngster, but if he’s willing to go to the UK and play SEMI-PROFESSIONAL Rugby, after playing Varsity Cup and Currie Cup rather than stick it out here, then we are in dire straits.
@ Scrumdown:
#1 Hi Scrumdown I get your concerns as it has been happening for a while now. But in this particular case not sure the conclusion you have drawn is spot on – at the age of 25 you have to ask if he is not a regular in a Pro team then what are the chances he would go on to become one in SA? Also the statement mentions he was training with Currie Cup squad do we know if he actually played any Currie Cup games and if he did how many? In general I find these player acquisition statements are really positive and optimistic, they could hardly say we have just got a player on board in his mid twenties who hasn’t been a regular at his home province WP…
I could of course be doing the man a disservice and he may well be a really good player who rather focused more on his studying and so that is why he is where is. He has a BComm degree and British heritage so the rugby move is maybe the small part of a longer plan to emigrate.
Scrumdown wrote:
I might be a smart move with SARU’s new quota rules next year
He might not make the cut to play for a CC team
And like Bully says it might be part of an emigration plan
@ Victoriabok:
@ Bullscot:
I hear what you are both saying, but if he has a UK passport, he doesn’t need an emigration plan other than deciding on a date to fly out.
The problem is that I constantly hear of SAffas playing club Rugby at ALL levels in England, even down to the minor regional leagues.
As for SARU’s quota policies, well IMO it will eventually hurt SA’s long term aspirations at international level UNLESS they start some real development programmes. I doubt that that will happen.
As for Coventry, they now have 4 SAFFAS on their books, and they’re only a SEMI-PROFESSIONAL club.
@ Scrumdown:
#4 yes Scrumdown but even when you can just get on a plane and emigrate it helps to have a job to go to, well that’s the way I went about it couldn’t face going from a job in one country to another country without securing a job first.
@ Scrumdown:
Been meaning to ask you if you think Wasps moving to Coventry will help or hinder Coventry Rugby? Is there place for both of them or could they become Coventry Wasps one, certainly hope not
Hodgkiss is a 25-year old club player that has seemingly never made a final Western Province Vodacom Cup or Currie Cup squad, let alone being capped for Western Province in these competitions.
In the circumstances his departure has nothing to do with (undue preference for players of colour arising from) quotas, & the question arises why his move abroad is disconcerting to some, or even, at all newsworthy.
Have any of us (other than Matie/WP fans) ever heard of him? I certainly haven’t …
@ Angostura:
Agree
I believe that in The current SA rugby landscape we can almost go as far as saying that if you aren’t “seen” or identified at about the under 16 age group and haven’t been contracted by a big union in at least matric, you can kiss your aspirations of making it here as a pro rugby player goodbye.
The Varsity Cup has at least opened another window of opportunity for some lucky players and has given a few a second chance.
nortie wrote:
It’s a shame, there might be late bloomers around that could be missed
Like the Lance Kluseners of rugby
9 @ Victoriabok:
Maybe there are Vic, but where will they be playing and how will they be seen.
It’s basically Grant Khomo week and Craven Week where the majority of signing occur. Then those select few make it to the Junior Boks, of which only a handful get opportunities at the bigger unions, depending on their need.
The Varsity Cup has opened one more window of opportunity for a few lucky ones.
And for some, playing for the Pumas, Border, Kings, SWD etc might lead to an opportunity of getting a decent contract at one of the big 5 unions, but even those numbers are fairly limited.
There are so many players, but so few real lucrative spots available
Victoriabok wrote:
88
Hodgkiss played in a Union that in fact does look to cast the net wide & identify talent that had previously been overlooked:
(Re Western Province’s Vodacom Cup achievements the following was reported in 2013)
“Western Province have always been known for their diversity within the union. Nine players of colour formed part of the same matchday squad against Griquas.
– Taz Fuzani, Chris Heiberg, Tjoppie Ferreira, Willemse, Graham Knoop – all of whom played against Griquas – have all come through the club ranks and played for Province this season; thanks to Jerome Paarwater’s CLUB SCOUTING PROGRAMME. Carel du Preez, Dylan Rogers, Ryan Olivier, Jody Reyneke and Chevandre van Schoor are other club players who have played for DHL WP this season.”
http://wprugby.com/2013-vodacom-cup-the-real-facts/
Even Hodgkiss was a beneficiary of this club scouting programme when (also in 2013) he was one of 9 club players who made the WP Currie Cup TRAINING GROUP of 42 players.
And as Nortie said, he also had opportunities at Varsity Cup level.
Given the facts, a reasonable conclusion is that he was weighed and found wanting …
6 @ Bullscot:
I hink it will re-kindle the interest in Rugby in a city that has fallen off the Rugby radar in recent years.
Since the onset of professional Rugby, Coventry have struggled to adapt, and from being in the Premiership in it’s inception year have really struggled to get things moving on a positive note.
This season is different in that they recently strung together 18 undefeated games in a row and currently sit second in their league.
@ Angostura:
@ nortie:
@ Victoriabok:
While I think it is probably a given that Hodgkiss would probably never have made a SR squad, I feel that this incident is indicative of a wider problem that SA has of losing players at ALL levels to foreign based clubs.
The foundation of SA’s Rugby player base is slowly being eroded, and nobody seems to give a flying fukc about it.
Don’t worry lads. SARU have it all under control.
Scrumdown wrote:
SARU has to concern itself about a 25-year old no name, scant achievement club rugby player with a UK passport chucking in his saffa towel to play semi professional rugby in the UK?
Why?
There will be many eager & competent takers for his spot at Maties.
Die een se dood is die ander se brood …
Angostura wrote:
So I take it you’re totally at ease with the way in which SARU administer and devlop Rugby Union as the custodian of the game in SA?
Scrumdown wrote:
That is not the subject matter of this thread.
I have simply stuck to the subject matter which, using a single inappropriate example, was introduced by you as the “ongoing poaching of South Africa’s Rugby players …”.
{BTW there is no indication that Hodgkiss was poached … He might very well have decided to pack up & leave for the land of his forefathers, & of own volition put out feelers to establish whether there was any 3rd tier club willing to accept him}.
I wish him well, but fail to see how his departure negatively impacts SA Rugby.
And SARU’s custodianship of SA Rugby is a matter that you can by all means introduce over here (or perhaps rather separately in another dedicated thread) by listing your gripes about SARU. That should make for an interesting debate amongst the R-T bloggers.
Anyway, I’m off this topic (the alleged “poaching” of Hodgkiss).
16 @ Angostura:
Point taken.
Case closed.
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