News

Green light for Boks to head overseas

May 23 2008

The Springbok coach will be allowed to select as many overseas-based players as he wishes following a decision of the President's Council, a SARU media release statedon Friday.

The Council decided to broaden their ground-breaking 2004 decision to allow the Springbok coach to select up to three overseas-based players. That decision had been briefly suspended in 2007 to ensure only South African-based players be eligible to play for the Springboks.

"We want to give the Springbok coach the best tools to do the job to the best of his ability and this decision does that," said Mr Oregan Hoskins, SARU president.

"We do not expect the floodgates to open and it is our expectation that only a small number of overseas-based may be called up.

"But the Council was very clear that the selection of overseas-based players should place no expectation or obligation on the provinces to re-contract or offer new contracts to players. Returning players must understand that there can be no guarantees beyond their SA Rugby remuneration."

Hoskins' comments seem particularly pertinent to Springbok captain John Smit who was asked to take a pay cut and return to South Africa from French club Clermont and is now struggling to find a Super 14 franchise with which to sign a deal.

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers currently has four players who have been playing overseas in his Springbok training squad - John Smit, Victor Matfield, Butch James and Percy Montgomery.