Springboks great claims SA Rugby ‘currently not sustainable’, warns stars will leave for ‘easier’ competitions
Former Springboks captain Jean de Villiers has called for a global season to ease the burden on the South African players.
Unlike in Europe, who generally go from September to July, and Australasia, who play between February and November – both including Test windows – South Africa doesn’t have a defined calendar.
They also have to contend with more travel than their rivals when competing in the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup, which is yet another hindrance.
Switch to the north
When involved in Super Rugby, they followed the same schedule as Australia and New Zealand but, after aligning their domestic game with the north, some players are effectively on the go for the entire year.
Moving from the Rugby Championship to the Six Nations would help solve some of their problems, but that remains a sore subject for people around the world.
De Villiers has therefore urged the relevant governing bodies to act, or else the South African-based players will continue to suffer.
What we have currently is not sustainable,” he said on the Boks Office podcast.
“We need to sort out the travel for the players, sort out the class of travel. You can’t expect a 2.05 metre, 150kg human being sitting in cattle class having to fly to the UK and back five times in a six-month space.
“The players will start fatiguing as well because of the extra effort that goes into the travelling, even though it is the same time zones.
“We went up north because it is easier travel, because it is the same time zone, so we need to sort those things out otherwise you won’t see this in 10 years’ time; guys will move across to other competitions where they are playing less and where it’s far easier.”
More and more Springboks are starting to take the ‘easier’ route by plying their trade in Japan, which is both financially lucrative and less physically demanding.
Although that has potentially helped South African rugby in the short term, opening up opportunities for youngsters to grab their chance at club level, it becomes a problem when those individuals leave after becoming international stars.
“Global season is a solution to a lot of the problems; the season starts on this day, and finishes on this day. Straight block, resting period where there’s no rugby whatsoever,” De Villiers said.
