The big South African rugby exodus has begun with Sharks and Springbok fly-half Butch James set to sign for English club Bath for R2,8-million writes Dale Granger for the Daily News. Other Sharks on their way include John Smit and Percy Montgomery.
It can also be revealed that Stormers and Bok flanker Schalk Burger has been offered a R7-million deal with French club Toulouse that will make him one of the highest paid players in the world if he agrees terms that would see him also lost to Springbok rugby after the World Cup.
Burger, 24, is also being chased by Harlequins director of rugby Dean Richards, who personally flew to South Africa from London recently to make the star fetcher a £450 000 (R6,3-million) offer. He looks set to join a growing exodus of top Springboks on the verge of joining European clubs after the World Cup.
His loss to South African rugby would be a massive blow to the country as Burger is young enough to play for the Springboks at the next World Cup in four years’ time.
Others top Boks who are being head hunted by top European clubs are: Star Bulls lock Victor Matfield, 30, who has been made a similar offer to Burger from Toulouse; Springbok captain John Smit, 29, who is set to join Clermont; Sharks full-back Percy Montgomery, 33, who will almost certainly play out his career with Perpignon next year along with wing Ashwin Willemse, 25.
Prop Lawrence Sephaka, 29, and centres Gcobani Bobo, 27, and Marius Joubert, 27, are other considering lucrative offers from top European clubs.
Burger and Matfield will become two of the highest paid players in the world if they sign with Toulouse, almost matching the R8-million a year salary that Australian star Matt Giteau earns from the Western Force in Perth.
Burger, the 2004 IRB Player of the Year, will almost triple his income if he signs for Toulouse. He does have a long-term contract with Western Province, but there is an escape clause and the Cape union would have to match any offer made by a rival if they wanted to keep their star fetcher in South African rugby.
Burger was believed to be on the verge of signing a deal this week, joining a growing number of top Springboks known to be disillusioned with political interference in the selection process that came to a head when Luke Watson was forced into the Springbok squad against the will of coach Jake White.
To stay in South Africa the players, grappling with uncertainty over their future, want White to be retained as coach next season.
Asked for comment yesterday, Burger’s father, former Springbok and Western Province lock Schalk Burger senior, said it was true that a number of overseas clubs wanted to sign Burger after the World Cup.
Sharks chief executive Brian van Zyl said he knew that Clermont were after Smit.
“We still have to sit down with John to discuss his future as his contract runs until December. But we do know that a number of agents were in the country recently chasing tight forwards in particular to bolster European teams,” said Van Zyl.
SA Rugby managing director Jonathan Stones was also aware that a number of top Springboks were likely to be lost to South African rugby after the World Cup.
“We can’t compete with R7-million offers and we know it will be difficult for players to turn down those kinds of deals,” said Stones.
“We are dealing with the reality of a professional game and are not the only ones affected. New Zealand are losing 19 top players to European clubs.
“But we have done our thinking on the matter and our main priority is to try and retain top players who will still be around for the next World Cup in 2011, or at least the British Lions tour in 2009. Schalk is obviously one of those players,” said Stones.
Stones also confirmed that a new contracting system was being negotiated with the South African Rugby Players Association. He said it was unlikely in future that Springboks would be given long-term contracts such as White had successfully managed to broker for 24 of his top players.
In 2004 these Springbok were given three-year contracts that expire after the World Cup. Stones, and from next season players, were likely to be offered performance incentive deals that would see them paid on a match fee and win bonus basis.
As recently as last year, Burger said in an interview that he had no desire to play rugby overseas and was committed to staying in South Africa.
However, political in-fighting that culminated in Watson being forced into the Springbok team this year, is said to have unsettled top Springboks who are worried and insecure about political agendas and interference dominating future selection processes.
White’s future is also uncertain and he too could be on his way soon.