The South African Rugby Union (Saru) is trying to limit the exodus of players to more lucrative overseas clubs by implementing a new overseas-player policy on July 1 that states that overseas-based players must have more than 30 Test caps to be eligible for national selection. Despite Saru arguing that this policy will still allow for the selection of overseas players to represent the Springboks, it won’t admit how this policy will hinder the development of Springbok rugby. The sad truth is that South African rugby cannot offer every elite player an incentive to remain in the country — our rand simply cannot compete with the euro and pound. Europe offers the chance to earn a life-changing amount of money, as well as a career-boosting opportunity to develop one’s game. Instead of focusing on preventing South African players from playing abroad and developing their skills, Saru should direct its efforts to intensifying the development of rugby players at the grass-roots level. If its ...
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