The South African Rugby Union (SARU) today announced that 15 players, including exciting youngsters such as Eben Etzebeth, Marcell Coetzee, Juan de Jongh and Pat Lambie and world stars such as Jean de Villiers, Tendai Mtawarira and Bismarck du Plessis, have been awarded Springbok contracts for 2013.
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The group – whose average age is just over 26 years – includes the core of the Springboks Test players from 2012, while players who are based overseas or who have signed contracts with overseas clubs, were not awarded national contracts.
“We’ve kept as many of our top players in South Africa as we could by awarding them national contracts, despite the powerful lure of the pound, euro and yen,” said SARU CEO Jurie Roux.
“We worked hard with the Springbok Management and Sarpa to ensure the best possible deal is placed on the table for the players. A further five contracts are still available and will be finalised in due course.
“Last year provided Heyneke Meyer with an ideal opportunity to see what is needed in the Test arena, and by contracting this group of players, we have secured a core group for 2013. The average age of the contracted group is not very high for Test rugby, which bodes well for the future.”
The following players, who represented the Springboks last year but will be leaving South Africa to play abroad in the next couple of months, were not awarded contracts: Andries Bekker, Juandré Kruger, Morné Steyn, Bryan Habana, JP Pietersen and Zane Kirchner.
“All six of these players were going to receive contracts, but the fact that they have indicated that they have signed with overseas clubs or are planning to do so, has ruled them out of the reckoning,” said Roux.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said: “I’m very excited about the contract group. Most of these players showed last year they have what it takes to play for the Springboks and they can only get more experienced and improve further.
“Losing experienced players to overseas teams is not ideal, but it’s their right to further their careers abroad.”
The Springbok contract group is:
Willem Alberts (The Sharks, 20 caps), Marcell Coetzee (The Sharks, 12), Juan de Jongh (DHL Western Province, 14), Jean de Villiers (DHL Western Province, 84), Bismarck du Plessis (The Sharks, 46), Jannie du Plessis (The Sharks, 42), Eben Etzebeth (DHL Western Province, 11), Francois Hougaard (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 27), Pat Lambie (The Sharks, 20), Tendai Mtawarira (The Sharks, 41), Pierre Spies (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 50), Frans Steyn (The Sharks, 53), Adriaan Strauss (Toyota Free State Cheetahs, 21), Flip van der Merwe (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 23), Duane Vermeulen (DHL Western Province, 7).
Springboks playing Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday 17 November this year, kick off 3pm GMT
Good move, Heyneke… now just to complete it by not choosing players who choose to go after the lure of money.
Might cost us in the short run, but players who are considering leaving WILL think twice about it.
Look, we cannot compete against the Pound, the Euro, the Yen and the USA Dollar, so we have to use the only remaing leverage available to keep most players plying their trade here.
If you had to name the Brazilian soccer team, how many of them ply their trade overseas? Rugby, like soccer is a professional sport, and the best will end up where the money is.
@ grootblousmile:
Agreed.
And if you study/enter the corporate world/start your own business whilst playing in and for SA, you may find that you are much better off financially and socially once you retire from rugby in your own country. You will definitely have more than enough money with less disruption of your personal life.
But anyway, to each his own….
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