In another dramatic twist in the ongoing Butch James saga, the 2007 World Cup winner could be cleared to play for South Africa against Wales on Saturday.
Jan De Koning of Rugby 365 reports that James has been on a rollercoaster of epic proportions in the last few days – as a tug-of-war between the Bok camp and Premier Rugby, the umbrella organisation responsible for managing the 12 professional clubs in England, ensued.
After having been ‘formally’ withdrawn from the squad earlier on Wednesday – after two days of he is in, he is out, he is in – the Bok camp now hopes to have James cleared to play under a release clause in his contract that guarantees his eligibility for the Boks.
This follows an apparent oversight by SARU and Bath officials – which almost cost James his chance of pressing for a place in next year’s Springbok World Cup squad.
James has been named at inside centre in the South African team to play Wales in a one-off Test in Cardiff on Saturday.
However, SARU and Premier Rugby, the umbrella organisation responsible for managing the 12 professional clubs in England, were still in a stand-off over the World Cup-winning Bok’s availability – the sticking point having been whether this match falls inside or outside the International Rugby Board’s window for June Test matches.
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Did these guys steal the scrip of biold and the beautiful or something?
On
Off
On again
Off again
maybe on again.
the Bok camp now hopes to have James cleared to play under a release clause in his contract that guarantees his eligibility for the Boks.
This follows an apparent oversight by SARU and Bath officials – which almost cost James his chance of pressing for a place in next year’s Springbok World Cup squad.
Now HERE is the interesting question.
WHO found/remembered the clause? Was it maybe Butch’s agent? seeing as neither Butch nor SARU nor BATH remebered it.
Could this be the first time ever that an agent has done something good?
Dont be surprised if James looks confused on the field on Saturday, thats if he gets to play
@JarsonX (Comment 3) :
Ah I’ve just noticed that Butch James is the most capped springbok flyhalf ever..
Butch James 32
Naas Botha 28
Henry Honiball 26
Piet Visagie 25
André Pretorius 21
Jaco van der Westhuyzen 21
Keith Oxlee 19
Joel Stransky 19
Bennie Osler 17
Louis Koen 13
Jannie de Beer 12
Hennie le Roux 11
Braam van Straaten 11
Hansie Brewis 10
Gerald Bosch 9
Morné Steyn 9
Lammetjie Luyt 7
Clive Ulyate 7
Derick Hougaard 6
Ruan Pienaar 6
KSA Shark
Jaque Fourie’s agent did something good! He got him out of his contract with the useless Lions!
Imagine the world’s greatest 13 playing for such a rubbish union!!
I reckon one Ishmaiel Dollie will break that record by Butch!!
@wpw (Comment 7) :
That is only counting matches where he STARTED at 10.
Ismile at Dollies will only make that record if there is a flyhalf convention somewhere for the top 50 flyhalves in SA and the plane they are all travelling happens to crash.
so I’m back. What happened?
OH FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This from the Bath Website posted at 16:57 UK Time.
Unfortunately Bath Rugby has had to withdraw Butch James from the match between South Africa and Wales this weekend as the date falls outside the international “window” for June, agreed by all parties last year.
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Sadly the Club didn’t receive the letter from SARU, sent on 20th April, asking for Butch to play, so the issue has only quite recently come to our attention and we have sought clarification from the IRB as SARU were under the impression this weekend was within the agreed window.
The first weekend in June is designated for rest and travel and not for matches, this is based primarily upon player welfare needs, to enable them to recuperate after the end of the season and before the summer internationals which take place on the three subsequent weekends in June.
It is very unfortunate for Butch, who is very keen to play for his country again, and we are fully supportive of this, but it does need to be within the internationally agreed parameters. We hope that he will get his chance next weekend and have explained the situation fully to him and apologised for the inconvenience and disappointment he has suffered.
Nick Blofeld
Chief Executive
@robdylan (Comment 9) : The Nulle won the S14………AGAIN
@robdylan (Comment 9) :
Well THAT is just the problem.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One moment it happened then the next it didn’t and then it may have happened and at the moment I haven’t got a clue if id DID or if it DIDN’T.
:head explodes:
@KSA Shark © (Comment 10) :
The Guardian is running a similar story with a time stamp of 18:58 BST.
FOOK I AM glad there isn’t a FL for this comp.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 12) : I bet Butch wish’s his club wasn’t a bunch of greedy fat pigs and had allowed the Sharks to get him back at a normal affordable price.
Now he’s being burned from all sides, even from his beloved England club (due to some more incompetence). No more laying the blame solely on the Sharks, even Saru had it’s grubby hands in this one.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) :
Ironically I knew about this clause a few months ago.
A fellow rugby lover from Bath (not one of the officials) told me then that Butch had such a clause and Luke Watson did not.
On a different note, it seems Mitchel will be yet another absent father figure to the snoiL during the cc having to travel between SA and perth for the force’s S15 planning, when will these plonkers learn.
The Sharks gets the temporary FH fix, the snoiL sommer gets a temp coach for every comp. Lucky number three for them.
@Biscuit (Comment 15) : Don’t think there’s a clause comprehensive enough to get Luke Watson back in green.
@Biscuit (Comment 15) :
Thank FOOK Watson doesn’t.
Hmmmmm that’s interesting.
http://www.bathrugby.com/news/9057.php
Have a look at Butch’s Jersey. He has a small RSA flag on his chest.
Does every Bath player have his national flag on his chest?
Quite cool that.
Hehehe
FTL
You’re funny you!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 19) :
Have just had a look at the wallpapers on ther Bath Rugby website and it seems that all the players DO have their own national flag on their chest.
I LIKE THAT IDEA.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 21) : Luke Watson probably has a picture of his dad instead of the flag
@FireTheLooser (Comment 22) : did luke bone ur girfriend?
Easy mego… Now say sorry or it’s the naughty step!
@Megatron (Comment 23) : Never knew Watson was into girls…you should know that though
@FireTheLooser (Comment 17) :
Ha
Apparently Luke did not think he needed such a clause.
He must have known that Butch had such a clause and he did not push for it.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 25) : that goes for you too. Just spent three days chasing my kids around Disney. You guys are no challenge at all compared to that
fourie du preez potentially out for 6 months, shoulder operation!!!
@Megatron (Comment 28) :
I bet Ruan is kicking himslef for going to Ulster or wherever.
Well we all know what that means!
Return of the ‘prop mechanic’.
@robdylan (Comment 27) :
@KSA Shark © (Comment 29) : Naah, we’ll be subjected to fat-boy ‘wyn-vlieg’ January the whole season
this is getting whole lot of more embarassing
what happened to my author icon
i feel naked 
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) :
who knows – maybe they aint that bad.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 21) : Dude flag on chest of Bath players been going on for a long time now,im really surprised you never picked this up before????
@KSA Shark © (Comment 5) : interesting stat where did you find it ?
@Biscuit (Comment 15) : shame – I reckon though that Loooke may not need it..
Since when does a pommie organisation decide who can play for South Africa? – personally i think Butch is over the hill – but this is just a joke. Premier Rugby can get bent. And the Boks can pick him and see what comes of it. Simple. Let them chase the supposed rule.
Has Butch been training with the Boks while all this was going on??If not they might as well stop trying because as it is the team only had a week together and what would it help to disrupt training now by bringing in Butch??
You guys have clearly not seen him play recently.
He is still good enough to play at this level. He is only 31 now and could possibly be an asset for next year’s RWC.
@Pokkel (Comment 41) : this is a very valid point .
@wpw (Comment 42) : Percy was 35 during last WC if I recall and still did very good job.
@rekinek (Comment 43) :
I dont think he was 35 yet. He was around 33 turning 34.
Seems there`s no winner to be found here. Butch wants to play so he can stay in contention for the big pay cheque next year, Bath don`t want to risk him getting injured and SA rugby just look incompetent cause they can`t finalize the deal. . .
@rekinek (Comment 37) :
Im not at home at the moment, but do a google for “enslin springbok site” on the menu bar there is a WHOLE variety of different stats, most combinations in positions etc. one iteresting one from last night.
Who is the bok who earned the most caps playing off the bench?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 21) : Only those who have been played for their country have the little flags!
Also think it is a quaint idea!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 46) : Please tell us…or is it the question on Boots & All, tonight?
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 48) :
The most capped Boks coming off the bench are.
Player Tests
Ollie le Roux 43
Albert van den Berg 28
CJ van der Linde 23
Ruan Pienaar 22
Joe van Niekerk 18
Danie Rossouw 17
Francois Steyn 17
Enrico Januarie 16
Brent Russell 16
Andries Bekker 15
Bobby Skinstad 15
John Smit 15
Bismarck du Plessis 14
Jaque Fourie 13
Johann Muller 13
Percy Montgomery 12
Jacques Cronjé 11
Fourie du Preez 11
Adrian Jacobs 11
Wynand Olivier 11
Joost van der Westhuizen 11
Brian Mujati 10
Gürthro Steenkamp 10
From http://www.genslin.us/bokke/sarugby.html
VERY useful site use the top menu bar and the side folders for some VERY interesting info.
@ruggabugga (Comment 36) :
I HARDLY watch NH Rugby.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 46) : found http://www.genslin.us/bokke
thanx
but cannot find this particular stat
@rekinek (Comment 51) :
At the top of the page
Statistics>>
Positions>>
And then it gives you all the positions including reserves.
Just hold your mouse over Staistics don’t click on it. then move it down to the particular stat you want and it will drop out another menu for you.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 49) : got so into answering the question that did not see the answer – hehe – still can’t find it though. must be blonde factor
@KSA Shark © (Comment 52) :
Staistics might not be there. try Statistics.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 52) : done
@KSA Shark © (Comment 54) :
Dude, I have been looking for that site for ages as I somehow removed it from my favourites/bookmarks.
Btw, Wahl Baartman, Johan Ackerman and Deon Carstens all share the same birthday (today)
I’m surprised Rob didn’t put up a thread for ou Wahl.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 54) :
thanx
@wpw (Comment 56) :
@rekinek (Comment 55) :
Well Done. Is your husband’s name Dagwood.
I’m off, time to head back home.
Catch ya later
@KSA Shark © (Comment 58) :
not that I am aware of ..
@rekinek (Comment 60) :
Just with you rapidly earning the name “Blondie” for yourself I thought maybe you were married to Dagwood.
@wpw (Comment 56) : Lwazi Mvovo too
@KSA Shark © (Comment 58) : got it now
– you must remember my upbringing was in a communist country – we had our own cartoon characters (they spoke Russian 
@rekinek (Comment 63) :
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) : this poor B James won’t know what to do in and out now they must make up the DA!E minds it or in the game or out for sat so what will it be which on is going to win in or out
