Frans Steyn releases himself from the Bok camp.

In a move more reminiscent of our national football team, Frans Steyn has decided, midweek, that he needs to think his international career. Early reports suggest it may have something to do with a rather sizeable Japanese contract he just earned himself...

To me, this is why, risky it may be, we need to forge on with the S18 competition. We simply can't afford, quite literally, to find ourselves embroiled in the club vs country situation our Football team is in where half the EU-based players always seem to pick up phantom injuries, or retire as they see fit. We've got to find a way to plug this, before the player drip becomes a full-blown exodus. Risky, and wildly convoluted it may be, I maintain S18 is our best hope.

Also, what on earth happens at 12/13? We aren't exactly short staffed, but it all feels much of muchness, and it will physically pain me to see the Bulls twosome rocking the midfield.

is he that scared of Doc Roberts?

Kingraf, mate don't fool yourself, we have too many negatives to ever compete with European or Japanese money.

If you look at the european rugby playing nations (just 6nations for now) you are talking of a collective GDP of over $7 trillion and a population between them of close to 200 million compared to SA, OZ and NZ with a GDP of less than a third of that, and a population a third if theirs.

Super 18 won't give you the money.

We have to be realistic and pay what we can with better domestic focus and less super 18 focus, then not select overseas playeer, reward those who stay at home.

No need to enter into a battle you can't win.

so is this a money issue in relation to him going to japan? if so its a shame and a terrible loss to SA, he has always been a favorite of mine.

Probably more than just a money issue, but he asked for privacy so we can only speculate.

Mate we are never going to be financially on a level playing field, but we've got to offer some sort of added financial incentives. We can't afford it on our own, I'd hate to put players in a position where they have to choose between financial security and national pride.

The financial incentive isn't going to come from Super 18, it is going to come from the 50 million population we have in SA, develop rugby and grow rugby across the whole nation.

Strikes me as unprofessional to pull out of the squad, unless injury forces your hand, during an actual tour. If you have doubts about whether or not you want to be available you should declare well beforehand and not mess the coaches about making them think you'll be in their plans only to disrupt things at late notice. Couldn't he at least have waited until the tour was finished? I'd have thought SA will have been eager to have his services given the midfield debacle with all the injuries they're experiencing.

Not trying to make any player by player comparisons but Gavin Henson (this is going back a while) used to routinely leave himself available for Wales games only to arbitrarily pull out a day or two before. As a fan it was highly frustrating for a player to falsely commit to games and then walk out for their own personal reasons, which is why this topic is a pet niggle of mine.

Think part of his decision is down to the chronic knee injury he has. Been getting managed game to game by the sharks medics but by all accounts is putting his long term career in doubt.

It seems likely to me that it is his knee problem causing him concern,where relatively
easier climate.Will hopefully enable some rehab plus earn some cash no doubt he will
be back for RWC.Good luck Franny get well soon

Wasn't sure how much of it was down to injury. Fair enough, hope things go well for him.

Biltong wrote:Kingraf, mate don't fool yourself, we have too many negatives to ever compete with European or Japanese money.

If you look at the european rugby playing nations (just 6nations for now) you are talking of a collective GDP of over $7 trillion and a population between them of close to 200 million compared to SA, OZ and NZ with a GDP of less than a third of that, and a population a third if theirs.

Super 18 won't give you the money.

We have to be realistic and pay what we can with better domestic focus and less super 18 focus, then not select overseas playeer, reward those who stay at home.

No need to enter into a battle you can't win.

I can never quite get the 'reward those that stay at home' bit. Lets say you have 10 world class fullbacks and can only employ 6 of them. How do you reward the other 4 in a way that will keep them in the country, knowing that they'll get picked up somewhere for more than any of the 6 anyway? Tell them to try harder and have another go next year perhaps?

The Steyns of this world know full well that in a few years they'll need a completely different form of income to survive on, where you and I Biltong will go on supporting other players with the same or ever increasing income, for perhaps as long as you are able to or want to work.

Where will Steyns 'rewards' be then? Are we or those wanting him to stay going to keep paying him...unlikely...or, will he feel under pressure to coach perhaps, knowing full well those jobs are few and require a completely different skillset.

Its a completely different situation for the player. Theyre under pressure to earn as much as they can before they're worth nothing. No jersey is going to mean more than that.

On the club v country debate. Fro memory 14 players were unavailable for the Kiwi's rugby league side due to injury, earlier this year. Almost all had apparently recovered enough to play for their club side the next weekend.

It irks me that Savea's knee injury was preventable but the Hurricanes were in the hunt. Imagine though 14 players out and then playing Super rugby again.

That's why you have to keep things in-house. Self interest can happen within a country but it's kept in check. There's far too much club rugby played in Europe though and the club owners clearly have no interest in the players' welfare at test level.

Steyn is a loss to test rugby and I for one am saddened that he won't line up against NZ.

It seems that Steyn was in high demand for both club and country, with neither of them willing to acknowledge the fact he needed a rest after a gruelling season. If that's the case, I think it shows a great amount of deliberation on his part in what is a bold but probably essential move in the long term.

Good luck to him, and shame on his coaches to be honest.

As I've understood it, he does indeed have a chronic knee condition, but he's taken the time off with the idea of being fully (or as close as possible) fit for Japan. He took €750k a year deal at Metro for three years, and hes off again - it's no longer about going off, making a pretty penny and coming back both financially secure, and ready to take on national duty. It's beginning to seem like once they're gone, that's all she wrote.

Biltong - popularizing the game to the masses would require some concessions to be made... I'm not sure about current ratings, but the 2010 S15 final drew 800, 000 viewers... which is of course a large portion the PayTV audience, but it's an almost nonexistent national footprint.

kingraf wrote:Mate we are never going to be financially on a level playing field, but we've got to offer some sort of added financial incentives. We can't afford it on our own, I'd hate to put players in a position where they have to choose between financial security and national pride.

Where have I heard all this before...   

So the problem is not only in Wales. If the mighty Boks have this issue but can still maintain a top spot why cant we in Wales... (ok.. different thread, so please don't reply and take this one off topic... I just wanted to highlight, player salaries is not just a Welsh problem...).

kingraf wrote:As I've understood it, he does indeed have a chronic knee condition, but he's taken the time off with the idea of being fully (or as close as possible) fit for Japan. He took €750k a year deal at Metro for three years, and hes off again - it's no longer about going off, making a pretty penny and coming back both financially secure, and ready to take on national duty. It's beginning to seem like once they're gone, that's all she wrote.

Biltong - popularizing the game to the masses would require some concessions to be made... I'm not sure about current ratings, but the 2010 S15 final drew 800, 000 viewers... which is of course a large portion the PayTV audience, but it's an almost nonexistent national footprint.

Kingraf, if I was running SARU it would be a simple choice to make.

develop rugby in every town, city in SA, whether it be a rural community or a highly populated city, township whatever.

This issue of Quotas is not going to go away, so why not use it in a positive manner.

The Boks are winning, our Bafana bafana is not, everyone loves a winner, you just need to make them feel part of what the team stands for, and it begins by exposing as many of the general population to the sport.

1/5 of our population is interested or involved in rugby, there is a market a lot bigger than the current one in SA.

We should be able to fill every matchday stadium with the population we have, it will take time, but is possible.

the buying power is no longer in the traditional markets, there is a new market that is bigger and growing ever bigger than the old traditional market.

The issue with popularizing the game is simple, and it's the reason Bafana Bafana, even if they lose the next fifteen years, will remain the #1 national team - National footprint. As it is, there are four, maybe six, rugby games shown on Free To Air, none of them live (the three inbound tests, the RC, and maybe the Currie Cup final), in contrast, for football, there are four league games broadcast every week, and all national team games a broadcast live. There's a big market for rugby, a lot bigger than the one currently being parlayed. Need some rugger on national TV to grow an audience. I cant think of a reasonable reason to not at least broadcast some Vodacom Cup, and the less exciting Currie Cup fixtures. If multichoice give SABC one CC match a week, they aren't going to lose viewers, if anything the opposite is more likely.

Apparently he's not playing due to a row over money.

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/Steyn-SARU-in-money-dispute-20140611

well maybe the WRU and SARU reps can sit down together at the test and figure out the best way to f&*K up rugby in their respective jurisdictions

but, if steyn has walked out on his country and his mates over cash it does him no credit.

I wonder whether or not SARU decided to remove Steyn from his central contract if he moved to Japan?

Steyn has been messed around his whole career though. He's not a utility player. He's a inside centre.  Coaches have loved to throw him around the backline like James Hook but they should be building their team around him.

Bad for SA, good for everyone else.

however...

In the end though he can't expect special treatment more than the other top players.

Guys like Schalk Burger have remained loyal to the boks, could have made a fortune abroad but didn't... thats why he's a former world player of the year and 2 times springbok of the year... and Frans hasn't achieved either. He chose glory before money.

The rand is being smashed at the moment so no doubt , falling 15% vs the GBP and 12% vs the Euro in the last 12 months so no doubt the deal he negotiated last year isn't as good as it is now.

But come on.... he was on 750k EUR a year in France.. that goes a long way in SA, a hell of a long way and its not like he's on state handouts now.

He tries to get the best of both worlds.. European/Japanese riches and springbok glory yet he's doing it all against the medical advice as he's playing 3 extra months of rugby a year, every year as he switches between seasons.

He has no off season, thats why his weight balloons all the time, thats why he gets so many stress injuries.

Yes he's been messed around but he's his own worst enemy. Guys like Schalk, Bismarck don't do walking away. Frans has my respect as a player but not as a man I'm afraid... he last less then 12 months.

Meyer will have to think long and hard about bringing him back... in the end he wants guys who will give their all... not those who are willing if the price is right. Doesn't exactly show you up as a good team mate now does it???

thats always been the impession steyn has given me. He plays for teams, but hes not part of them, even the boks. Looked like he's always there to help them out. No more.

apparently its all down to image rights... owned by a private company which SARU have not paid.

Its a total joke.

Frans Steyn has no marketability outside of SA and without the bok jersey he's just another player. Supremely talented sure but I'd love the boks to simply say to Frans and whichever company owns his rights.... Without the boks your investment in Frans is worthless or as much as Nick Evans in Quins.

He has a central contract... paid in addition to his Sharks contract meaning SARU supplement his salary.

You can't charge SARU for utilising his image when its playing for the boks themselves which generate the image in the first place.

How many Os Du Randt, Francois Pienaar or Japie Mulder shirts they sell in SA today? Compared to say Juan De Jongh, Bryan Habana & Johan Goosen?

People don't follow the players, they follow the boks.

for steyn to bail when they are down to uncapped centers is frankly urine poor