I note with considerable lack of interest that Frans Steyn has yet again been liked with a high-profile move to a French club.
That’s right, folks, according that most reliable of rags, Afrikaans tabloid Sondag, Racing Metro, completely oblivious to the recession gripping their country, along with the rest of the world, want to pay R4.5 Million rand a season to the young sometimes-flyhalf. About the only real development here is that a particular club has been named, indicating that this deal is probably a real one.
That’s kind of where the interesting bit ends, though, given that Frans Steyn is one of the chosen few to have been offered (and signed) one of the brand spanking new SARU contracts. Now, I’m doing a little bit of surmising here, but I would assume that said Bok contract would preclude the player from entering a contract with a foreign team, given current coach Peter de Villiers’ proclivity for only selecting SA based players. So how then can Steyn, having already accepted the Bok offer, still be seriously considering the French one? Unless, of course, he has recently attended a seminar at the Habana and Botha School of Contracting Ethics.
So, Steyn remains contracted to the Sharks until the end of the Currie Cup season and to the Boks until at least a year from now. I would seriously discount any talk of a big-money move to France before the start of 2010 – and we all know how much can change in a year.
Storm in a teacup, really. Bring on the rugby!
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Unless, of course, he has recently attended a seminar at the Habana and Botha School of Contracting Ethics.
I don’t care. 😛 Going to take a walk in the snow. 😎
@McLovin (Comment 2) : how much did you get? We’ve got LOTS
Funny cos I read that Manchester City have offered R10 million for Steyn’s services… 🙄
@blackshark (Comment 4) : cheap at the price 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 3) : Plenty. Just took a stroll along the river. Lovely. 😎
Not one Saffa will leave until the Lions tour has come and gone and then expect a raft of mercenaries to leave for abroad
Voldy is, somewhat predictably, all over this one like a cheap suit now.
Overrated player – no big loss.
@MorneN (Comment 9) : yeah… wish we could get Brad back now…
@robdylan (Comment 10) :
I told you (think it was in a pvt conversasion) you guys are going to miss Brad big time.
I was taking the piss a bit but I have said before on this blog Steyn should go overseas for a year or 3 and come back mature, or just become a grown-up
@MorneN (Comment 11) :
Didn’t I post that on this site about a week ago???
🙄
@wpw – Take that Chelsea!!! (Comment 12) :
Dont know, I dont come here often… 😉
@blackshark (Comment 4) : Long range goal attempts from the halfway line at kick off? 😕
@MorneN (Comment 13) : yo… let me know when next you make it onto MSN. Want to discuss something
@robdylan (Comment 15) : Sounds sinister.
@klempie (Comment 16) : lucky Morne is into dodgy shit like that… 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 15) :
Will be up again tomorrow
@MorneN (Comment 18) : sweet feet
@robdylan (Comment 17) :
I just bought myself an original Corn Cob pipe!
Poker nights will never be the same again!!! 🙂
@MorneN (Comment 21) : 😆
@MorneN (Comment 21) : and a green plastic visor?
@robdylan (Comment 23) :
Mine is black dude, I told the guy behind the counter the green and yellow ones looks a bit gay and won’t be well accepted at a mens only poker evening… 😉
@MorneN (Comment 24) : even a Stormers one? 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 25) :
Sal jy glo!
@MorneN (Comment 24) :
No Women allowed???????? The Guys must be afraid of competition when they start hitting on each other. 😛
11 days to go!!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 27) :
Here is the funny thing, I am the only Stormer supporter there, there are 3 Sharks, 1 Bull and 1 Cheetah…
@KSA Shark © (Comment 27) :
So you MUST be right seeing the majority are Sharks!
@MorneN (Comment 29) :
😛
I see Ponting is being RESTED 🙂 for the next two ODIs against NZ.
Clever man. Australia have now lost their last four ODIs – and five of their last six – and are on track to equal their five successive losses to England and New Zealand two years ago. That way he can say he wasn’t in the side when they equalled the 5 successive losses.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 31) :
Bunch of cheats.
I saw this Hadden thing on highlights – imo guys like that should be fined.
At least the Aussies are living up to their reputations.
@MorneN (Comment 26) : morras – when are you going to stroll on over to JustRugby?
@robdylan (Comment 33) :
I got the invite dude, thanks!
I checked it out just now actually but will register and do all those nice things tomorrow.
I wont be too late for anything hey?
@MorneN (Comment 34) : nah. No stress. Lotsa time
@robdylan (Comment 35) :
Sweet.
French go fishing for Sharks man
Mike Greenaway
A hot item of news discussion on Monday was that Sharks centre Francois Steyn is entertaining a massive offer from French club Racing Metro but the good news for Sharks and Springbok supporters is that he is going nowhere until 2010.
The 21-year-old is contracted to the Sharks until the end of this year and recently signed a one-year contract with the Springboks. His on-going discussions with the Sharks and with overseas agents is about 2010 and beyond.
That Steyn is the target of overseas offers is hardly a startling revelation – he has been the subject of intense interest since his considerable talents were first paraded on the world stage, long before the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Steyn is not the only Shark to be made lucrative off-shore offers. But he will not be the last.
“Just about the whole Sharks squad was made some kind of offer last year after we won the Currie Cup,” said Sharks chief executive officer Brian van Zyl. “This is nothing new. Our players are sought after all the time.”
But this year is likely to see an even greater feeding frenzy on South Africa’s leading players because many senior Springboks are regarding this year’s British an Irish Lions tour as a career watershed.
And in the case of younger players such as Steyn, there is still enough time to play a season overseas and then return to South African rugby to qualify in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup the Springbok selection policy has again reverted to the rule that only local players are eligible for the national team.
Van Zyl said that Sharks were keen to re-sign Steyn.
“We are in discussions with Frans but he has not yet given an indication of whether he will stay with us or move on,” the chief executive officer said.
The Sharks have the right to match any offers made to Steyn but whether they can afford to is another issue, even if the Springboks also come to the party.
For instance, last year the Sharks valiantly tried to keep the services of long-serving prop BJ Botha but even with the co-operation of SA Rugby simply could not match the figure offered by Northern Irish club Ulster.
Steyn is one of 19 players that have agreed to one-year Springbok contracts with SA Rugby after the national body overhauled its payment structures.
An offer was made to a 20th player – CJ van der Linde, who is playing his rugby in Ireland, but the World Cup prop had not replied when the January 31 deadline expired.
The contracted group includes seven players from the Sharks, six from the Bulls, four from the Stormers and one each from the Lions and Cheetahs.
The players are contracted to a remuneration structure that will run until 2011, although players will only be contracted on an annual basis.
Non-contracted players will be given incentives to force their way into the squad.
“The players’ input into this process was extremely positive,” said Andy Marinos, SA Rugby manager of national teams and acting managing director.
“We met Sarpa (South African Rugby Players’ Association) in 2007 to decide on a remuneration model for the players until the next Rugby World Cup.
“The principle was to establish a new way for contracting as well as avoid the ‘last minute discussions’ we’d previously had with Sarpa on the eve of end-of-season tours.
“SA Rugby held talks with representatives of Sarpa – including senior Springbok players – and also two managing directors of the Super 14 franchises.
“Our negotiations were based on a performance-based model that also offered incentives to non-contracted players. The old model was beneficial to those select few that had contracts, while the non-contracted players received only a daily allowance and their match fees.”
I think it’s nuts when a newspaper has the 2 articles on the same page.
1. French lure for Frans
http://www.thetimes.co.za/Sport/Article.aspx?id=930843
2. Centre finally holds for wandering Bok http://www.thetimes.co.za/Sport/Article.aspx?id=930845
Frans is a Sharks player right now…what he does after his contract runs out is his business.