The coronavirus pandemic has, for many people and industries, spelt disaster and changed lives for the worst. The same can be said for many sportspersons and clubs, what with the financial impact being so negative that some clubs and sports bodies have imposed pay cuts for their employees.
But the latest developments in South African rugby have been nothing short of interesting – not that SA Rugby’s own cost-cutting measures, which have seen unions, clubs and their employees also take pay cuts are interesting – but because time off the field has led to players, and a particular union, making some interesting decisions.
For one, the country’s professional players were offered a 21-day window to seek international clubs so they could avoid having their salaries cut, which saw some controversy, with Springbok and Stormers superstar flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit jumping onto the bandwagon and terminating his contract with the Western Province Rugby Union before reversing his decision. As a result, he will now stay with the Cape franchise at least until the end of the much-anticipated British and Irish Lions tour next year.
But a player who won’t be staying with the union much longer is Springbok utility back Dillyn Leyds, who has decided to take up the overseas offer and sign for French side La Rochelle.
On the other hand, the Lions, as if they were not struggling enough in their ‘re-building phase’ that has cost them their glory days in Super Rugby, have lost a number of their own stars. One of them is Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx, who has signed with Japanese side Kubota Spears, the other being arguably one of the brightest young talents in local rugby at the moment, utility back Tyrone Green, among others.
This will surely hurt the Johannesburg franchise even more when they return to the field, what with their already-existing struggles after losing a number of their superstars in recent years, whose detrimental impact was evident in last season’s Super Rugby campaign, where they failed to even make the playoffs. That, by the way, happened for the first time in four years, with them making the final on the other three occasions – between 2016 and 2018.
Their neighbours, the Bulls, have personified the ‘making the best of a bad situation’ saying by making wholesale changes to their union.
After a less-than-inspiring run in the first few weeks of this year’s edition of the southern hemisphere competition, which has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus – one win in their first six games – they started off by firing head coach Pote Human and replacing him with the World Cup-winning former Springbok mentor Jake White. White was officially introduced as the franchise’s new Director of Rugby but now also assumes the head coach role, owing to it being vacant.
Ever since, it has been rarity to go a day without hearing them announcing the signing of a player – a top one – such as a Marcel van der Merwe, Arno Botha, Gio Aplon or a Travis Ismaiel. The Bulls have also brought back former head coach Nollis Marais to the newly-established role of a ‘breakdown specialist’, with former Lions coaches Russel Winter and Joey Mongalo also added to White’s backroom staff.
It should be interesting to see how the Bulls in particular fare post the lockdown, and indeed how rugby will change once it is allowed to be played again.
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