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Bulls CEO says 'we have a potential crisis on our hands' as roster set to implode with mass Springbok exodus
By Online Editors
South African Super Rugby franchise the Bulls has a potential crisis on their hands as a number of high profile Springboks head for the exit following the Rugby World Cup.
Springbok centre Jesse Kriel, who is to undergo ankle surgery and miss the next eight weeks, has reportedly informed the Bulls of his intention to take up a contract in the Japanese Top League with the Canon Eagles under former coach Alister Coetzee after the Rugby World Cup according to Rapport.
The loss of Kriel would be a major blow for the Bulls, with the 25-year-old midfielder just hitting his peak. The uncertainty surrounding the playing roster is playing a part in the departures according to lock Lood de Jager, who just announced his signing with the Sale Sharks a week ago.
"Look, it's tough in South Africa at present," he told Rapport.
"At the Bulls, no one knows who's leaving and who's staying.
"The way things are currently going in the overseas market, there are a number of guys who don't know if they'll still be at Loftus next year - guys like Jesse (Kriel), Handre (Pollard), Duane (Vermeulen), Schalk (Brits) and RG (Snyman)."
"It's tough to sign a deal at the Bulls while there is uncertainty about a number of the team's top players."
Handre Pollard was rumoured to be a target as a replacement for former All Black Aaron Cruden at French giants Montpellier, should they release Cruden over the summer. It was reported that Pollard had been offered a deal worth around €1.2m per year, however, the Bulls made a statement saying they were 'aware' of interest in the flyhalf but believed no formal offer had been made.
With the news of Kriel's impending departure, Bulls CEO Alfons Meyer has admitted the club has a potential 'crisis' and 'a big loss' but refused to elaborate further.
"We have a potential crisis on our hands. It'll be a big loss, but we can't say much about it at the moment," Bulls CEO Alfons Meyer said.
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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