Bulls fullback Zane Kirchner has turned down a new contract in Pretoria and accepted an offer to join Leinster in Ireland next season, for a reported R3.6 Million Rand a year.
Kirchner becomes the second high-profile Bulls Springbok to announce his departure ahead of the 2014 season, after lock Juandre Kruger signed a deal with Racing Metro late last year.
As the silly season starts to gain momentum, Perpignan in France have also announced a slew of new signings, including Western Province scrumhalf Dewald Duvenage and out-of-contract three-quarter Wandile Mjekevu, who is currently playing club rugby for College Rovers in Durban.
Both Kirchner and Duvenage are likely to seek early exits from their existing contracts in order to join their new clubs immediately after Super Rugby this year.
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Do their new team pay a fee to get them out of their contracts early?
@McLovin (Comment 1) : They usually do, yes.
I would also take up the opportunity. Your tournaments are better spaced in Europe, plus many teams rotate players between home and away games. Super rugby has become a liability to the longevity of a player’s career.
@King Shark (Comment 2) : I’d go to Japan.
20 matches max a year, and earn as much or more than in Europe. 😎
We can’t compete financially.
Plus Super Rugby has become hard work watching, I can’t imagine how drained the players are after a season and then having to go straight into 4 Nations/Currie Cup/EOYT. It’s crazy.
Some has suggested that Super Rugby will soon make a bid to join the European season to take a cut of those Euro’s.
I don’t know, but if we continue losing our best players, we might have to.
Duvenhage…. nooooooooooooooooo!!
@VinChainSaw (Comment 5) :
Sarcasm??
Why isn’t Mjekevu in the Sharks squad?
@rhineshark (Comment 7) :
He wasn’t rated.
@rhineshark (Comment 7) : the feeling was that he didn’t take the chance he was given last year, with the under 21s
@robdylan (Comment 9) :
Well with half the South African rugby fraternity seeking their fortunes elsewhere and the other half getting injured, it surely wont be long before he gets another shot?
Oh boy, when playing for the Springboks becomes the second alternative to making money, we know there’s serious problems with rugby players in SA.
Time for genius HM to reward players willing to “suffer” financial loss in order to play for their country. (not that they’re living on the breadline with their local wages 🙄 )
Another thing to be learned from the tjietas: LOYALTY!!!
Stop handing Bok jerseys to those obviously more interested in lining their pockets, rather than the pride of playing for their country.
@rhineshark (Comment 7) : @Pokkel (Comment 8) : @robdylan (Comment 9) : Plum probably never enjoyed his company that much 😈
@robdylan (Comment 9) : Pity. He has plenty of talent.
Why can’t I edit comments? Does the Ajax plugin not work with Firefox?
Seems a number of Bulls players are negotiating overseas after after the Bulls offered to renew their contracts at a reduced pay (up to half) – Jano Vermaak, Francois Venter, Willie Wepener, etc.
It seems the Bulls budget cannot cater for all the youngsters they signed, some who must be going onto senior contracts, and keep the journeymen who forms the core of their team
@rhineshark (Comment 14) : I removed the plugin because, frankly, it wasn’t working very well with anything.
@Baylion (Comment 15) : one of our most intrepid reporters is working on a story related to that…. let’s not steal her thunder just yet 🙂
@Baylion (Comment 15) : @robdylan (Comment 17) : Oooh some dirt on the Bulls 😆
@FireTheLooser (Comment 11) :
Because you work for a charity instead of a company that pays you as much as you’re worth?
Apparently they offered Janno Vermaak half of his current salary… ouch.
Besides the fact that I’d not really want to spend more time in Pretoria than is absolutely necessary, you’d need to walk away from that purely on principle.
@VinChainSaw (Comment 19) : At the end of the day Springbok rugby is more than just a job now isn’t it.
That’s why teams like the Sharks and Stormers never really achieve much when it comes to winning cups, because they still think playing rugby is just a job where it’s about the amount of money you earn, instead of the pride of achievement that matters most.
Nobody pays to watch me do my job, maybe they do to watch you do yours? 🙄
Sharks need to jump and buy Vermaak, think he’s one of the best in SA.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 21) :
You’re being slightly facetious mate.
People might not watch me doing my job, but if i dont do it they certainly know about it.
Springbok rugby is indeed an honour, but playing rugby in itself is more of a privelege in my eyes. If playing Bok rugby means you’re very likely to get injured and possibly end your career, then maybe its not worth it.
Its still just a job and players have mouths to feed and pensions to think about.
You cant have the demands that a profesisonal sport brings, without having the other side of the coin, being money.
Long gone are the days when receiving the Bok jersey was reward enough. These days you need to go through an enormous amount of work to get there and I’d hazard a guess that the rigours it puts on your body simply arent worth it for many people.
@VinChainSaw (Comment 23) : You can’t honestly tell me that the money earned by the guys up for Springbok honors is not enough to give them a comfortable life and future right here in SA?
How did a guy like Matfield manage to stay in SA his entire career?
For the guys unable to crack the Bok squad or at the end of their careers, sure go ahead and make a living overseas. But the option of playing for the Boks should be strictly for those willing to sacrifice the mega euros and yens for the honor of representing your country.
If not, then local rugby will die a certain death. Why would anyone stay and play in SA when they can earn the big money overseas and still make the Bok squad.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 24) : ummm. Matfield played for Toulon for a season and made a truckoad of money in the process…
@robdylan (Comment 16) : Bummer. Saved me a few times from myself.
@robdylan (Comment 25) : One season? That’s all it took to make enough money for him to be set for life?
I bet any franchise can afford to lose a player for ONE season if it means he’ll have enough money to stay with the team after that.
Seems expats sees it in a different light from the rest of us.
@rhineshark (Comment 26) :were you using it? I’ll put it back then.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 24) :
Not everybody is Matfield mate. He’s one of the most capped Bok players ever.
Im not arguing with you about whether its right they should be able to represent the Boks if they play overseas.
What I am saying is that I understand why they do it and dont begrude them it whatsoever. Simple fact is the toll that 15 or so Super Rugby games and tn tests a year, 6 of which are against Argies, NZ and Australia, and its an incredible toll you put on your body.
I dont think I would think it worth it if it was me and I’d gladly use my talents to enable me earn a few extra bucks, see a bit of the world and prolong my career by a few years.
What I am saying is that we/SAR/SANZAR/unions make it very unattractive for players to stay in this country; we simply play them into the ground. And for what? A bit of glory that might come in a competition that currently involves 15 teams? Pffft. Madness.
Despite the slim chances of winning the Super Rugby trophy, the glory just isnt there. Not like previous years. Yet the rugby has got harder.
Rugby players today are so much bigger and faster – yet along with the muscle growth there is no corresponding increase in strength of ligaments, bones and skulls.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 27) :
Not everybody walks on water like Saint Victor. Especially not in Pretoria.
He was a very fortunate individual in that he stayed relatively injury-free during his career. Few players make that sort of cash.
Just think of the Sharks players last year that travelled 4 times across the ocean in three weeks and came away with nothing to show. Then shortly thereafter, those that made it into the Bok squad made two trips across the Atlantic and another two across the Indian and once again came home without glory.
The new S15/4N is just too brutal on SA players. I’d move to Europe even if they paid me less.