Bok rest period not fixed?

While South African players are required to rest for a minimum of eight weeks per season, the leave is not confined to a February-March window.

Stormers coach John Dobson has suggested a debate with SA Rugby about individualising the process, questioning if the eight-week rule applied to all players, while Sharks counterpart John Plumtree bemoaned the inevitability that the Durban outfit would never have an opportunity to field a full contingent of their Springboks.

However, speaking to Sunday newspaper Rapport, MyPlayers CEO Eugene Henning clarified the process, emphasising an individualised approach.

Eight weeks rest for all players

According to Henning, players – whether Boks or not – must rest for a total of eight weeks annually, playing a maximum of 32 games within the 1 July to 30 June cycle, and the leave can be spread out over the course of the season.

Henning stressed the importance of players getting sufficient rest, irrespective of the timing, urging a total of eight weeks of rest during the season.

This clarification challenges the notion of a fixed February-March rest period for all Springboks, allowing franchises more flexibility in managing player breaks.

“The most important thing is not so much when you rest a player. The most important thing is that a player does get his rest. Our request is therefore that a player be rested for a total of eight weeks during a season,” Henning told Rapport.

This story was first published on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission.