Kurt-Lee Arendse won’t be featuring at all for the Vodacom Bulls this season, and coach Jake White is not happy about it.
Arendse, who was granted a sabbatical at the Mitsubishi Dynaboars in Japan, missed out on his side’s last two games because of injury, but the length of the Japanese season means he will definitely not play for the Bulls in this year’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
White was also not happy about reports that prop Simphiwe Matanzima had signed with the Sharks, citing the fact he still has more than a year left on his contract.
Arendse’s name has been absent from the URC stats, where he was a regular feature last season, and White fired a broadside at SA Rugby by saying that more needed to be done to keep stars in South Africa.
The refrain is not a new one from White, who believes that the Springboks should all be based in South Africa. He has said it repeatedly that he believes SA Rugby’s policy should be changed.
White said it was a “very bad thing” that Arendse only made four appearances for the Bulls this season. White added that Arendse, who was one of the deadliest attackers and topped the defenders' beaten stats for most of last season in the URC, had missed the deadline to return to be involved in the playoffs.
Supersport.com put it to White that it was more of a team effort to get the team to the quarterfinals whereas last season they relied more on Arendse’s individual brilliance.
“The player that we had who did all those things isn’t here. Kurt-Lee’s probably top of the pops for the Dynaboars in the Japanese league.
“It’s not good for South African rugby that the best players who make the linebreaks are playing all over the world and not for our franchises. It’s not a good and a bad thing, it’s a very bad thing that you bring a guy to the club, build him and make him who he is and then you don’t have the luxury of having him when you need him the most and at the best time of his career. “Unfortunately, that’s going to happen more and more, but I’m never going to say, ah well, let it be.
“We talk a lot about bringing players through, but our job is not to find youngsters and pay their school fees by putting them in big games and then handing them over to other clubs to become rock stars. We’re not in that industry. We’re in a country where rugby is important and winning is important.”
White also was angry about reports that Simphiwe Matanzima had signed for the Sharks, as well as reports that Arendse was happy in Japan and wanted to leave the Bulls.
“You guys know more than me. He’s (Matanzima) still under contract for two years. I didn’t realise you could sign a guy when he’s got two years left. You also can’t chat to a player while he’s still under contract.
“I’ve heard the same about Kurt-Lee Arendse and I’m concerned. There doesn’t seem to be a watchdog when it comes to who’s signing who, when they’re going, who’s talking to who, who goes overseas and who can stay.
“One week I read Kurt-Lee’s not keen to come back, and he’s got a year-and-a-half left on his deal. And today I read Simphiwe wants to go to the Sharks, and he’s got two years left on his deal.
“So next year you’re going to tell me, ‘Isn’t it amazing that the stats show your loosehead prop makes less tackles than the one you had last year?’ And it will be because the loosehead prop I had this year has gone to another club.”
On Friday the Dynaboars announced a list of players that would be leaving them at the end of the Japanese season. The Dynaboars concluded their season with a defeat to the Urayasu D-Rocks in Tokyo on the same day.
The team finished ninth for the season but won’t make the quarterfinals.
And Arendse’s name was on the list to leave, with the club telling Rugbyjp.com that he won’t be returning.
Arendse scored seven tries in 12 appearances but missed the last few games with a shoulder injury. The Bulls rejected an offer for Arendse to be released from his contract.