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SA rugby transfer market: 8 ins and 14 outs

Malcolm Marx

With the SA Rugby’s 21 days clause a thing of the past. Here is a look at all the confirmed contract agreements – reports Rugby 365’s Leezil Hendricks. When SA Rugby first announced their ‘survival plan’ in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus-enforced lockdown, one already knew it is going to be a huge challenge for South African teams to hold onto to their world-class players.

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The survival plan created by SA Rugby included paycuts of up to 43 percent for high earning players like Springboks. Players were given until Thursday, 14 May at midnight to cancel their current contracts under the plan.

At the conclusion of the 21 days, it seems like the Lions have been hit hardest with four players including Springbok Malcolm Marx opting to tear up their contracts. Fellow Springbok Elton Janjties has opted to stay at the Lions despite, according to reports, an offer from Top14 side, Agen.

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Three reds players have been stood down

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Three reds players have been stood down

The Sharks have managed to survive the crazy transfer period with minor scares. The Durban side, who has been in fine form prior to lockdown, retained the services of their World Cup-winning Springboks Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am despite the raids from cash-flush Japanese clubs.

Mapimpi turned down a staggering multi-million dollar offer from Japanese club Red Hurricanes, while fellow World Cup-winner and front row forward Thomas du Toit, fullback Aphelele Fassi, utility forward Juan van der Mescht and utility back Curwin Bosch were also targets of the foreign raids.

The Stormers certainly had the biggest worry with World Rugby player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit was reportedly linked to several overseas clubs, including Montpellier.

According to the rumour mill, the Top14 club offered Du Toit ZAR2 million a month in a three-year deal that would have seen him pocket ZAR75 million. The deal would have made him the highest-paid player in the world. The cash-rich Top14 side denied that ‘any contractual offer has been made to Du Toit,’

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Stormers coach John Dobson has also been adamant that PSDT will stay put. However, the World Rugby player of the year made a huge U-turn on deadline day as he cancelled his contract with the franchise. The some-what good news for Stormers is that Du Toit and/or his representatives are in negotiations with the WPRFU and are not in negotiations with anybody outside Cape Town.

Flyhalf Jean-Luc du Plessis also opted to cancel his contract and is rumoured to join a Japanese Top League side. On the other side of the spectrum, the Bulls have been just as busy – landing some big names in their pursuit to return to winning ways.

After losing the likes of Handre Pollard, Jesse Kriel and Lodewyk de Jager following the World Cup, the COVID-19 break has come as a blessing in disguise for the Pretoria side.

With Jake White as the new director of Rugby, the franchise has managed to sign Marcel van der Merwe, Gio Aplon and Arno Botha.

List of the SA rugby transfers

Bulls:

In:
Marcel van der Merwe (Toulon)
Gio Aplon (Verblitz)
Arno Botha (Munster)
Out:
Johnny Kotze (Shimizu Blue Sharks)
Dylan Sage (TBC)

Cheetahs:

In:
Jeandre Rudolph (Pumas)
Frans Steyn (Montpellier)
Marcell Muller (Montpellier)
George Cronje (Clermont)
Howard Mnisi (Southern Kings)
Ian Groenewald (Griquas)

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Out:
Joseph Dweba (Bordeaux)
Jasper Wiese (TBC)

Southern Kings:

Out:
Howard Mnisi (Cheetahs)

Lions:

Out:
Malcolm Marx (TBC)
Tyrone Green (TBC)
Ruan Vermaak (TBC)
Shaun Reynolds (Uson Nevers, French ProD2)

Sharks:

Out:
Tyler Paul (Japan)

Stormers:

Out:
Cobus Wiese (Sale Sharks)
Dillyn Leyds (La Rochelle)
Wilco Louw (Harlequins)
Jean-Luc Du Plessis (TBC)
*Pieter-Steph du Toit ( Terminated current contract)

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H
Hellhound 44 minutes ago
France put World Cup pain behind them with unbeaten run in November

France is starting to look like they are finally over their WC headache, although they were lucky that NZ had a very bad game. The Argies as usual is one game good, the next bad. If they can sort that out and be more consistent, they could become contenders for the WC.


NZ, Argentina (if they are more consistent), and now the Wallabies too is in an upward curve (can they be consistent?), as well as Fiji(as inconsistent as Argentina) looks like possible contenders. The Boks will be as usual a huge threat to defend their title. Things are looking up for the South, so the North should rightfully beware of the Southern Hemisphere threat.


With the French looking dangerous, the English with their close runs (mostly a mindset problem) and the Scottish seems to be the NH main contenders. The Irish is good, but not excellent anymore. They are more overbearing and with their glory days mostly gone with old players hanging on by a thread, by 2027 if they don't start adding in the younger players, they won't make it past yet another WC Quarter final. The problem is that their youngsters, while good is nothing special.


That is just 8 teams without the Irish that can become real WC contenders. Lots of hickups to be sorted still for these teams, excluding the Boks to become a threat. Make no mistake, the top Tier is much closer than people realise and the 2027 WC will be a really great WC, possibly the best contended WC ever.

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