Bok stars a prime target for Euro clubs

SOUTH AFRICA rugby bosses face one inevitable downside to their national side’s series win over the Lions – their best players’ appearance in the shop window makes them prime targets for British and French clubs.

Forty Springboks play outside South Africa including CJ van der Linde, BJ Botha and Butch James, while current star Francois Steyn is on his way to Racing Metro in France.

Big names such as Bryan Habana, Bakkies Botha, Schalk Burger and Ryan Kankowski have also been targeted by European clubs.

Most of the Bok heavyweights are currently at home because of the lure of the Lions series. For players who have won a Super 14, the Currie Cup and the World Cup, the Lions series was the last mountain to be climbed, so it’s no surprise they’re going abroad.

But South Africa also know how to get them back. Piet Heymans, chief executive of the South African Rugby Players Association, SARPA, has outlined how South Africa gets its players back as soon as possible after their overseas experience.

For one thing, unlike their New Zealand counterparts, South Africans remain eligible to play for the Springboks even if they play overseas.

“South Africa has a policy that foreign-based players can play for the national side. I haven’t given up on representing my country at the next World Cup,” Steyn said.

“South Africa had to face the reality that we would never stop these players from leaving,” said Heymans. “We did a lot of work with SARU to help them to see that.”

Specifically, they hit on four main ways to help the players out.

One was hitting on creative ways to earn more money for top players

“We are doing a lot of work in this area, including making players shareholders in businesses,” said Heymans.

“The one I can tell you about is (Springbok lock) Victor Matfield who came back when he was offered a three-year image rights’ project with a dental insurance company here.”

Saracens in England is another plus for the Boks: South African interests bankroll the London club and are on the board, former Bok Brendan Venter is the coach and eight or nine South African players are on the Saracens books, meaning they are always in touch with home interests.

Munster supporters may be interested in another Boks development – the return clauses. Increasingly, South African players, like promising young centre Bradley Barritt, have emergency return clauses in their contracts and are entitled to return home if an SOS comes from their home union.

Finally, there are the SARPA public relations initiatives. When Victor Matfield returned from playing in France, he spread it around that his sojourn had not been particularly enjoyable and that he was glad to be back home with friends, family and familiar languages.