ACT Brumbies fans could be cheering for the enemy as soon as 2010 with several Test Springboks showing interest in moving to Canberra.
Daniel MacDonald writes in the Canberra Times that Chief executive Andrew Fagan confirmed that at least one Springbok and a number of South African-based Super 14 players have inquired about joining the Brumbies from the end of next season.
The interest has been in response to the ARU’s announcement that it would allow overseas players to turn out for Australian Super 14 clubs.
Franchises are allowed to sign-up just two overseas imports, one of whom can be a “marquee” player. A second developing foreign player, without Test, Sevens or A-team level experience, can also be recruited. These players can stay for three years after which time they will be eligible to play for Australia.
“They range,” Fagan said about the type of player who had shown interest.
“We’ve had a lot from fringe Super 14 players from South Africa and younger players as well as from the [Pacific] Islands.
“But also interest from Super 14 and Test players who via managers had indicated they would be interested in coming across.”
Clubs will find out this week how the overseas players will fit into the payment structure. It has been suggested the marquee players will be exempt from the current restrictions on Australian players. The ARU will oversee the import process.
With their full-time roster already determined for next season, the Brumbies will wait to shop around until next year.
Head coach Andy Friend said he would prefer to buy up-and-comers rather than international stars when they start searching the player catalogue.
Although he remained tight lipped on which players had expressed interest in a move to Australia, Friend said that since the announcement he had received several expressions of interest “from quality players” including one this week from a player complete with a DVD of his own on-field performances.
“That’s only going to increase,” Friend said.
“We’re not actively out there searching the market for players at this point in time however we do have managers from different countries sending information of players across so there’s an interest out there for managers and players.”
More South African players than any other nationality were interested in joining the Brumbies but the former London Harlequins’ coach said he knew of British players also keen to migrate Down Under.
“Rather than the marquee players who play for another country and we can only use for two seasons, our preference would be to avoid that if we can and only pick up one of those players if we generally felt that coming into a season we had a hole that we needed to fill,” Friend said.”What we’ll be targeting is players who can come across here and after three years would be eligible to play for the Wallabies and therefore could stay here for longer than two seasons.”
Friend rated the Brumbies’ brand of rugby as the strongest in Australia and an attraction to lure foreign players to the nation’s capital.
“There’s players I know in the UK who have worked with me and know me … I’ve actually had a couple of them show interest as well. There’s nothing confirmed but we’ll see where it takes us. There are some quality players who have a desire to come out to Australia,” he said.
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I was in two minds whether to even bother posting this.
Ja, Ja, some Boks contacted you. 🙄
Did they really?
Or are you just trying to feel the market to see if there is interest?
How many more times can this story possibly be rehashed?
@robdylan (Comment 2) :
Each CEO or Coach will have his little say, so probably 8 times minimum 😉
Something that I hadn’t read in any of the other articles on thsi though is that it seems that the players can only stay there for two seasons maximum.
The Aussies have their head screwed on right in that respect, so that they don’t spend the rest of their lives keeping giving foreign players oppertunities instead of there own.
The Saffers playing for London Harlequins should be the first ones on his list. Anyone knowing who they are?
You’d think they’d be giving the Reds, Force, Tahs a call… Canberra is the world’s most boring place…
@bryce_in_oz (Comment 6) :
That was my first thought when I saw this article – not that I have ever been to Oz but I have heard those sentiments spoken on many occassions.
@bryce_in_oz (Comment 6) :
At least we can narrow those expressing interest down to the Blue Bull Rugby Union members.
good morning everyone
179 sharks_lover Your comment is awaiting moderation. Report comment
September 10th, 2008 at 9:28 am
good morning everyone
some news from sharks camp is barritt will not play after the knock he took last weekend
the center combo’s now possible are as follows
steyn adi
steyn murray
adi murray
this depends who plays flyhalf
the most like choice is 12 steyn adi 13 with murray on the bench
sharks team for the weekend as i see it
15 stefan
14 odwa
13 adi
12 steyn
11 jpp
10 michelak
09 ruan
08 kanko / daniel
07 deysel
06 botes
05 muller
04 albert
03 jannie
02 bismark
01 beast
16 skipper
17 carstens
18 sykes
19 kanko / daniel
20 cockott
21 murray
22 swanepoel
@sharks_lover (Comment 10) :
I think Riaan Swanepoel is in Stellenbosch at the club champs.
🙄 :yawn:
@sharks_lover (Comment 10) : you really are a sneaky bugger aren’t you???
Changing every thread into one about the Sharks.
Are the australian really gonna drag the rest of us into a professional US style draft pick situation. Suppose they innovate everywhere else don’t they? It surely is where rugby is headed?
@wpw (Comment 13) : That’s why his comments always come with funny numbers like 179…and are always awaiting moderation. 😆
@VinChainSaw (Comment 14) : Maybe the reason why Eddie bring some light to Saracens. 😉
@PaarlBok (Comment 16) :
I can think of worse ways to professionalise the world of rugby PB!
All the test countries have been pooh-poohing around this issue for years now.
There’s always been a stigma attached to “poaching” players with everybody doing it, us included, but everyone denying it.
Maybe if Oz start doing it openly the rest of the world will follow suit and we can get past the underhanded way in which it is currently being done.
Because I mean, lets be honest, Enlgand have poached players from us and NZ, Oz has paoched players from us, NZ has poached islanders and a saffa and we have poached from Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Why not just make it a draft pick, bring it out into the open and take the stigma away.
Just amazed that the Ozzies might just be showing the rest of the world the way. Again.
@VinChainSaw (Comment 17) : How are they showin the world the way again?