Player exodus starting again a threat to SA Rugby

While the Vodacom Bulls are still licking their wounds from their late loss to the DHL Stormers this weekend, the news has filtered through that they will lose two more players at the end of the season, and in a department they can’t really afford to lose.

Weekend newspaper reports that Walt Steenkamp and Sintu Manjezi have both turned down contract extensions at the Bulls and will be heading north to English clubs underlined the problems South African franchises have at this moment.

And it isn’t just the Bulls, it is the other sides as well. Local administrators point to the fact the Cheetahs lost 12 players to overseas clubs in their first year of the Pro14 as something that is likely to happen to teams in the Vodaocm United Rugby Championship as well.

For the Bulls and Sharks, the teams with the most depth, the concern with retaining some depth is a very real one.

And it should be for the Springboks as well.

Already the Boks will be tested at the end of this year when they face an England side without their overseas-based players.

Given that 17 of the 30 that were on the end of season tour were at overseas clubs, the dearth of local talent makes it all the more concerning for the long term viability at international level.

While Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber are right to say that the international competition and playing for overseas clubs broadens their view and is good for Springbok rugby, it is a thin line that could very well backfire when it comes to November.

Jake White also has a point that some sort of equilibrium needs to be reached to ensure the local game stays healthy.

Of course, the value of the rand will always work against local administrators, but the thought that a good local lock like Steenkamp or Manjezi can earn almost 40 per cent more at an English club and not even be their first choice must be a concern all round for local administrators.

And they aren’t alone. Coaches across the spectrum have complained that they are fighting off offers from overseas clubs and agents see dollar signs and want to move any player who has talent offshore as soon as possible.

The emergence of Japan as an easy payday has only made that worse, but the heightened prominence of SA players since moving to Europe will mean those players will always be in the crosshairs of overseas clubs.

While the 30-test ban only served to cripple South African rugby, some middle ground needs to be found. Younger players are going to be fast-tracked faster and that means the coaching system in South Africa needs to improve.

Already we see signs of that at the Bulls and Sharks, where Gert Smal’s return and the coastal side’s import of Georgian and Irish coaches seems to be having an impact.

But to be successful, teams are going to need to hold onto their players, and to build a team - as the most successful sides have done - you need both experience and a team culture that grows over years.

There was some hope that the pandemic might help players return home and we’ve seen some veterans return to play in SA rather than retiring with their Euros, but somewhere this needs to blend into a natural blend of youth and experience.

The alternative is that SA clubs continue to struggle as their riches are poached by overseas clubs, and the Springboks - in the international window may thrive.

But when it comes to tests outside the international window, that may be totally different - especially when you consider the top three choices at hooker, flyhalf, and top two at scrumhalf and lock are all overseas-based.

The Bulls have already lost the likes of Duane Vermeulen, Marco van Staden, Trevor Nyakane and Ivan van Zyl over the past year. But once the next tier starts to leave, it is more difficult to replace them with experience.

The warning signs are there, and unless some strategy emerges, the health of the feeder system is very much in danger.