Bismarck du Plessis
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has asked teams not to pick their contracted Springboks for the entirety of this year’s Absa Currie Cup tournament.
In the past, Springbok players returned during the latter stages of the competition, but this year will be different.
The Cell C Sharks were the first team to confirm the matter, with CEO John Smit saying the defending champions have to make the best of the tricky situation.
“It was decided upon that all contracted Boks will play no part in the Currie Cup, which puts us at a bit of a disadvantage,” Smit told Sharks website editor Michael Marnewick.
Sport24
“It also depends on who gets selected for the Rugby Championship because they will then be unavailable for the duration of that competition as well.”
“There are two ways of looking at it though: you can be negative and worry about how it affects your chances to win the Currie Cup, or you can be excited about creating Springboks and testing the depth of the squad. We have some exciting youngsters and there will be a few fresh faces.”
In saying that, the competition never fails to generate a lot of interest about young players who rise from obscurity to make their mark, both in the competition as well as for their respective teams.
“We have loads of talent,” said Smit.
“There are youngsters who haven’t even turned 19 yet who could have a role to play in the Currie Cup. There’s a huge amount of excitement about what this Currie Cup could offer in that regard. The challenge in the first five or six weeks of the Currie Cup is that we will face other teams who have had two months to prepare, so we need to make sure we bat cleverly in the beginning.”
The Currie Cup Premier Division kicks off next Friday when the EP Kings face Western Province in Port Elizabeth (19:10 SA Time kick-off).
How can they expect a team to pay the salary but not pick the player?
WP for example has spent the whole season ( money and time) to get Etsebeth fit to play and now they cannot use him even for a few matches?
Surely they must at least be compensated by SARU ?
@ robzim:
The key words are “asked not to pick” , so I guess the unions can still say “request noted, but we’ll pass thank you”
Unless SARU issue an instruction, and then an alternative compensation, I’m sure the Unions can pick whoever they pay?
@ nortierd:
If they refuse they will be seen as villians or as being “unpatriotic” .
It will be a can of worms if you ask me. Some national players might need extra game time and others not? It will be open for interpretation.
I am sure HM will work on or should work on a case by case basis, and stipulate the amount of time he would require a player returning from long term injury should play.
For example WP …..
Cough cough
robzim wrote:
LOL whinge of note 😉
Nortie is right though, the ASKED to pick stands out, and it it yet to be seen who plays and who does not.
Currently contracted Springboks are: Willem Alberts (loose forward), Jean de Villiers (centre), Bismarck du Plessis (hooker), Jannie du Plessis (prop), Eben Etzebeth (lock), Siya Kolisi (loose forward), Tendai Mtawarira (prop), Frans Steyn (utility back), Adriaan Strauss (hooker) and Duane Vermeulen (No 8).Marcell Coetzee (loose forward), JJ Engelbrecht (centre/wing), Francois Hougaard (scrumhalf), Patrick Lambie (flyhalf/fullback), Willie le Roux (fullback/wing), Coenie Oosthuizen (prop) and Flip van der Merwe (lock).
Sucks for players like JJ and Siya, who wont even make their provincial teams.
in any case it does not matter and it is no big deal, the last couple of years the springboks only joined in the last 2 weeks and that would be brutally unfair to teams like the Pumas, Griquas and the Kings, who could all be competitive till then.
I am 100% sure there will be exceptions with the odd player being released though like maybe Eben and Lambie.
And if game time is an issue, but the player is good enough, then let him play 20 minutes from the bench?
This isn’t golf, I am sure Eben does not have to do 200 lineouts before every game.
And the season ticket holders get nicely screwed again, paying handsomely to watch second-rate teams?
Fark off.
MacroBull wrote:
Never mind the 200 lineouts or gholf, Eben even injured himself in the shower last time.
At least the mighty VRYSTAAAAAAAT will be almost at full strength then!
@ robzim:
Yep so then at least the springboks can eek out 12 minutes before he gets injured again.
@ robzim:
9- Did he slip on the soap?
Toe stuck in plug hole
Trap his finger in the shower door?
Showers are death traps!!
Btw, I love Bianca Borman’s pic in the right hand margin, the close up of the guy with the weathered complexion!!
Quite something!
@ MacroBull:
6
Kolisi doesn’t do much anyway 😆
In 2016 the SR is destined to be the water-down competition, then the CC might become again SA’s primary show
But meanwhile, in 2014/5 seasons the CC is just a back waters competition, with a low attendance and little interest, in other words it’s the ‘Transformation Time’?
Who cares ?
@ nortierd:
2
There are just TOO many threads posted each day, it hampers continuity and the forming of serious debates
Can’t RT combined all the lesser threads into a bin under title such as ‘other rugby news’?
Think it over please
@ Hondo: I must say I have to agree with you; while a lot of them are “nice-to-haves” I find it impossible to get through most of them because I just don’t have enough time in my day.
Unfortunately I’m at my busiest between 16:00 & 20:00 and then when I’m finally ready to rock-n-roll late at night all you old farts are in Noddy Land….
When Hondkak starts talking about serious debate my bullshit radar starts to twitch.
Norty how about a shallow paddling pool thread for him where he can froth at the mouth like a rabid jackal about quotas and “referees for the taking”.
And another thread for everyone else who doesn’t have half a million tins of expired bully beef in an underground bunker.
And no I don’t think the Boks should play the currie cup. Unless the national coach wants someone to get a bit of game time.
And yes SARU should compensate the unions.
Blue Bird wrote:
Apparently he hit his toe while getting out of the shower.
He must have been in a hurry.. perhaps the geyser ran out of warm water.
@ robzim: It takes more water than the average Geyser can handle to rinse him completely….
@ BrumbiesBoy:
19
Can’t even find what was written yesterday with all that glut of irrelevant threads?
My window is 11:30 to 13:30 and then later in the evening, while I’m back to the site it takes a hell of digging, and for no reason
I prefer the business end of the Currie Cup when all the Boks are available to Super Rugby derbies.
Thats when professionalism takes a little bit of a back seat and you start playing for the badge.
Doc Craven is turning somersaults in his grave…
@ Hondo:
@18 Good idea.
18 @ Hondo:
Noted Hondo.
There is always newsworthy happening in rugby though, and it’s also fun doing a special interest type article, hopefully someone also finds it interesting.
I’m sure GBS has the technical know how if an “other rugby news” type bin can be created, but what is considered other and what is considered more important than the rest?
Keep up the good work Nortie…
I enjoy all my rugby news being in one place… which saves me time (I don’t have) surfing the Net to find it for myself…
And you do have a nose for a good and interesting story…
Plenty people read and appreciated your efforts…
So… a BIG
from me..!
On the number of Articles…
There is a fine balance between bringing all the rugby news and bombarding people with too much to consume.
Nortie and I will try to combine things here and there but not to overdo the combining thing.
One also has to be careful of flooding the website with 30 articles a day… and in that regard Nortie’s verve and enthusiasm for new articles has maybe surprised all of you.
What we will endeavour to do is cover all news, combine a few things here and there, and not to over-exhaust a specific topic of news… eg. placing too many articles on the Super Rugby Final… and here I admit, we have had too many articles on ONE topic!
On the other hand, the compliments from all over regarding Nortie’s writing style and the positive feedback from all and sundry is a delight to see! As content provider here, I feel like I finally have a like-minded partner in crime, a sounding board, a fellow-rugby nutter on board…. with Nortie’s input… and I really need to take him for a pub-lunch…
Rugby-Talk.com is an ever evolving thing, and feedback of the kind we have seen above here, is appreciated… so that we can continue to align ourselves perfectly!
I actually love it. I can’t wait for a new story/article/opinion – especially about SA teams/players.
Like UFO said – Keep up the good work!
I actually love it. I can’t wait for a new story/article/opinion – especially about SA teams/players.
Like UFO said – Keep up the good work!
@ grootblousmile:
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