SA rugby transfer market: 8 ins and 14 outs
With the SA Rugby’s 21 days clause a thing of the past. Here is a look at all the confirmed contract agreements – reports Rugby 365’s Leezil Hendricks. When SA Rugby first announced their ‘survival plan’ in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus-enforced lockdown, one already knew it is going to be a huge challenge for South African teams to hold onto to their world-class players.
The survival plan created by SA Rugby included paycuts of up to 43 percent for high earning players like Springboks. Players were given until Thursday, 14 May at midnight to cancel their current contracts under the plan.
At the conclusion of the 21 days, it seems like the Lions have been hit hardest with four players including Springbok Malcolm Marx opting to tear up their contracts. Fellow Springbok Elton Janjties has opted to stay at the Lions despite, according to reports, an offer from Top14 side, Agen.
The Sharks have managed to survive the crazy transfer period with minor scares. The Durban side, who has been in fine form prior to lockdown, retained the services of their World Cup-winning Springboks Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am despite the raids from cash-flush Japanese clubs.
Mapimpi turned down a staggering multi-million dollar offer from Japanese club Red Hurricanes, while fellow World Cup-winner and front row forward Thomas du Toit, fullback Aphelele Fassi, utility forward Juan van der Mescht and utility back Curwin Bosch were also targets of the foreign raids.
The Stormers certainly had the biggest worry with World Rugby player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit was reportedly linked to several overseas clubs, including Montpellier.
According to the rumour mill, the Top14 club offered Du Toit ZAR2 million a month in a three-year deal that would have seen him pocket ZAR75 million. The deal would have made him the highest-paid player in the world. The cash-rich Top14 side denied that ‘any contractual offer has been made to Du Toit,’
Stormers coach John Dobson has also been adamant that PSDT will stay put. However, the World Rugby player of the year made a huge U-turn on deadline day as he cancelled his contract with the franchise. The some-what good news for Stormers is that Du Toit and/or his representatives are in negotiations with the WPRFU and are not in negotiations with anybody outside Cape Town.
Flyhalf Jean-Luc du Plessis also opted to cancel his contract and is rumoured to join a Japanese Top League side. On the other side of the spectrum, the Bulls have been just as busy – landing some big names in their pursuit to return to winning ways.
After losing the likes of Handre Pollard, Jesse Kriel and Lodewyk de Jager following the World Cup, the COVID-19 break has come as a blessing in disguise for the Pretoria side.
With Jake White as the new director of Rugby, the franchise has managed to sign Marcel van der Merwe, Gio Aplon and Arno Botha.
List of the SA rugby transfers
Bulls:
In:
Marcel van der Merwe (Toulon)
Gio Aplon (Verblitz)
Arno Botha (Munster)
Out:
Johnny Kotze (Shimizu Blue Sharks)
Dylan Sage (TBC)
Cheetahs:
In:
Jeandre Rudolph (Pumas)
Frans Steyn (Montpellier)
Marcell Muller (Montpellier)
George Cronje (Clermont)
Howard Mnisi (Southern Kings)
Ian Groenewald (Griquas)
Out:
Joseph Dweba (Bordeaux)
Jasper Wiese (TBC)
Southern Kings:
Out:
Howard Mnisi (Cheetahs)
Lions:
Out:
Malcolm Marx (TBC)
Tyrone Green (TBC)
Ruan Vermaak (TBC)
Shaun Reynolds (Uson Nevers, French ProD2)
Sharks:
Out:
Tyler Paul (Japan)
Stormers:
Out:
Cobus Wiese (Sale Sharks)
Dillyn Leyds (La Rochelle)
Wilco Louw (Harlequins)
Jean-Luc Du Plessis (TBC)
*Pieter-Steph du Toit ( Terminated current contract)
Comments on RugbyPass
In the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
5 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
6 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
5 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
6 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
6 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
18 Go to comments