The Bulls and Stormers coaches this past Friday both aired subject matter that may appear divergent but actually links with a major concern for those who believe the long-term health of professional rugby in this country depends on more than just the Springboks.
The Bulls’ Jake White had another tilt at the level of support the franchises get from the national body when it comes to keeping the top international players in SA.
The burning issue for him was Kurt-Lee Arendse’s unavailability to play for the Bulls in the sharp end of the URC season because of the overrunning of his Japanese sabbatical and his desire to stay on in Japan.
The “Bok team should be selected only from players playing here” argument is a bus that left the station long ago, yet it is easy to understand White’s frustration.
I don’t know the answers, but the SA approach to selection of overseas-based players for the national team is a double-edged sword and at the very least a conversation is needed on the subject rather than the status quo just being allowed to continue unchecked.
The 12-month season is as big an issue, hence the Sharks’ inability to get the best out of their international players, but it is also ridiculous to expect local teams to play the long game of building towards being able to compete for the Champions Cup when it is so hard to hold on to players who impress suitors in the URC and European shop window.
When White was talking in Pretoria I was listening to Stormers coach John Dobson extol the virtues of Damian Willemse’s loyalty and the contribution he’s made to the franchise.
Willemse was poised to play his 100th game and it got me thinking about what chance there is of the Bok adding another 100 caps, which is relatively normal for established star players at European clubs.
Given that Willemse was not yet the global star he is now when he committed to the Stormers and rejected a big offer from the Bulls in 2020, I’d say it is unlikely he will double his number of caps even though at the age of 27 he is young enough to do so.
Leinster have already come sniffing and other well-heeled overseas clubs will too by the time Willemse’s contract expires in 2027. The same also applies to Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who will be only 25 when his Stormers contract expires after a World Cup where he could be the star turn.
The struggle he may have holding on to top players is something I think of whenever Dobson says: “Something is building here at the Stormers.”
Building for how long? Until 2027? A few columns ago I wrote about the Stormers’ connection with the assumed DNA of their region and therefore their support base through the exciting style of rugby they play, but can they sustain that if they lose the players that now front that approach?
It appears Manie Libbok will be released for a Japanese sabbatical, and Dobson hinted at the uphill battle faced by local coaches when he said: “If we release him for six months he may be able to earn the money that will enable us to keep him for longer.”
That’s assuming Libbok doesn’t experience what Arendse appears to have by getting used to earning yen. You might ask why the Stormers need Libbok when they have Feinberg-Mngomezulu, but as discussed in last week’s column, you need a clutch of players if you want to play in a certain way.
The Stormers’ flamboyant style has drawn a connection with their supporters, but what happens if in two years time they lose Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Willemse and Libbok (plus Warrick Gelant should be retiring then) at the very time when Dobson’s “project” should have reached the point where a proper Champions Cup challenge is no longer just wishful thinking?
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