Jurie Roux: "It is unrealistic that SARU can keep all the top talent in SA"

It is an “unrealistic expectation” to think that the South African Rugby Union can keep all its top talent in this country, Saru Chief Executive Jurie Roux told supersport.com.

After a season where both Ireland and Scotland have targeted rising talent to play in their local leagues with a view of qualifying for the country, Roux reacted to the latest spate of signings which could well see South Africans qualify for their adopted countries ahead of the 2015 World Cup.

This week former Lions captain Josh Strauss became the latest departure to Glasgow with a view of qualifying for Scotland.

Later this year, another two South Africans – former Cheetah Richardt Strauss and former WP No 8 Robbie Diack will qualify to play for Ireland and could well face the Springboks in November on their end-of-year tour.

Ireland have adopted a policy of searching out top young talent to place with Irish provinces, and who are financially assisted by the Irish Rugby Union.

Bulls flanker CJ Stander was the first such player to sign this year, and has professed to be unable to turn down the massive financial offer he was given to go to Ireland.

Other than the former SA under-20 captain, WP winger Danie Poolman has also been lured to Ireland, as has lock Quinn Roux, although the latter’s agents insist he will return to the Stormers next year to continue his development there.

There have been others, with Lion Jacobie Adriaanse and Kings lock Johan Snyman both signing for the Scarletts in Wales and former Cheetahs tighthead WP Nel currently with Edinburgh and also eyeing a qualification for Scotland later this year.

While player movement abroad is nothing new to South Africans, especially in a professional era, there is a growing concern that the Home Unions are systematically targeting young South African talent, using the lure of the Pound and Euro, as mechanisms to have them qualify for the said country.

Australia has also sent scouts to schools weeks in South Africa, and has, on a lesser level, tried to recruit young South African talent. In addition to this, former Springbok coach Jake White is currently searching for a lock to contract to the Brumbies with a view to playing for Australia in the next few years.

Despite this, Saru CEO Jurie Roux believes the danger is not as apparent and says is it unrealistic to expect a country such as South Africa to keep all its talent.

“It would be preferable to keep all players in SA but that is an unrealistic expectation as we actually have more talented players than our market can bear the cost of,” Roux told supersport.com.

“But we have also had success in our policy of keeping overseas-based players in the Springbok mix and they have returned home in due course, rather than extending overseas contracts.

"Players who do not earn selection for the Junior Springboks and go overseas may have aspirations to play international rugby for other nations but, during that qualification period, the Springbok coach would also have the option of selecting them if they were thought good enough to reach Springbok standard.”

Saru has rather opted to nominate the SA under-20 side as the “second side” – thereby ensuring that any player who plays at that level, is automatically frozen and can’t qualify for another international team.

Roux says in any case, the results of young players heading overseas have been “patchy”.

“Young players going overseas to make a career and play international rugby are not a new phenomenon and, to be fair, the results have been patchy. It’s probably the players who went to over there for a life experience and to play rugby – such as Mike Catt and Pieter de Villiers – who are the ones to have made a success of it.

“The club market will drive the movement of players and New Zealand has had some success in retaining players such as Carter and McCaw by central contracting, but it is not a ‘magic bullet’ and many, many more have taken their chances overseas, most recently Sonny Bill Williams.

"This year we have nominated the SA Under-20 team as our second ranked national team, which means those players’ futures are tied to the Springboks.”

In the end it seems we may lose some players, and some countries may well succeed when investing in South African youth.
But if Saru’s new selection structures do their job – with the same selection policies from junior to Springbok level – then that loss will be minimised, and Bok rugby continue to reap the fruits of local talent for years to come.

Biltong wrote:I read the other day England has had 10 South Africans represented in their national team since 2000

Biltong wrote:What you are forgetting Taylorman is that we ave a much bigger number of rugby players available in relation to our number of professional teams, so players like Josh Strauss could feel hard done by that they are overlooked after a good few years, hence they oeave, others don't get to the "money pit" in SA because there are so many more players than spots available.

SecretFly wrote:
I don't have patience for the stat collections but could someone come up with how many South African play in Ireland, how many play in England and how many play in France? Why does Ireland pick up the flack from these worried officals down south.

England International team has already/or did have three or four South African born players already on their team.

But they're different, I assume. It's the little guys we don't like stealing our boys.

Biltong wrote:I think you're taking it a little too literally, Roux mentions players to a number of nations not only Ireland.

DaveM wrote:

The IRFU have an active policy of seeking out young South Africans, where-as the RFU certainly do not and most of the South Africans who played for England have come over for other reasons and just worked their way in. Botha is the prime example - dropped well down the pyramid, but gradually improved his game and eventually ended up at a top club and playing for England.

Taylorman wrote:

Biltong wrote:What you are forgetting Taylorman is that we ave a much bigger number of rugby players available in relation to our number of professional teams, so players like Josh Strauss could feel hard done by that they are overlooked after a good few years, hence they oeave, others don't get to the "money pit" in SA because there are so many more players than spots available.

Possibly, but last count there were 15 players in a national side so by that count we have far too many professionals as well. But our players only go when they've little to no chance of making the AB's. SA players like F Steyn, like to have their cake and eat it, and more often than not it has shown in his performances.

The best preparation for Bok test matches is certainly not playing UK club rugby surely.

Biltong wrote:Ah well, I didn't see it that way, but then I am not irish. For me the important aspect there is our players invloved in our U20 squad is now off limits, Jake White suggested earlier in the year an active program from a university in Oz to give bursaries to young players to play rugby in Oz with the hope of getting them to play for Oz, so by naming our U20 team as our second team at least we can keep the best young ones.

SecretFly wrote:
There's a comment for that..you can guess it...it starts with bull. What you mean is that the IRFU are honest and that the RFU do things smarter...they always have and it's why we've yet to blood our SAs and England..well, they're well down the road. They're ahead of us in practical terms and therefore, whether it's a policy by the IRFU or whether it's SAs going to England on holiday and staying..England are a bigger target for SA concerns than we are. Big target, go aim at it.

SecretFly wrote:Ireland.... first New Zealand then South Africa. Always the ones primarily mentioned.

I don't have patience for the stat collections but could someone come up with how many South African play in Ireland, how many play in England and how many play in France? Why does Ireland pick up the flack from these worried officals down south.

England International team has already/or did have three or four South African born players already on their team.

But they're different, I assume. It's the little guys we don't like stealing our boys.

Taylorman wrote: ... F Steyn, like to have their cake and eat it ...

SecretFly wrote:

DaveM wrote:

The IRFU have an active policy of seeking out young South Africans, where-as the RFU certainly do not and most of the South Africans who played for England have come over for other reasons and just worked their way in. Botha is the prime example - dropped well down the pyramid, but gradually improved his game and eventually ended up at a top club and playing for England.

There's a comment for that..you can guess it...it starts with bull. What you mean is that the IRFU are honest and that the RFU do things smarter...they always have and it's why we've yet to blood our SAs and England..well, they're well down the road. They're ahead of us in practical terms and therefore, whether it's a policy by the IRFU or whether it's SAs going to England on holiday and staying..England are a bigger target for SA concerns than we are. Big target, go aim at it.