OPINION: Is it feasible to bring SA’s best rugby players back from overseas?

Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White was at it again recently, trumpeting the need to get South Africa’s best overseas based players back to plying their trade in the country of their birth to help boost local unions.

His statement came after the Bulls’ recent win over Leinster a few weeks ago, in response to a question about lock RG Snyman signing a contract extension with the Irish giants.

He explained that other countries, such as France, wouldn’t let their best players play outside of the country, using Antoine Dupont as an example, in getting his point across.

White does have a point, as this would strengthen the game as a whole in SA, however, it just isn’t feasible and there unfortunately isn’t enough money in the game in the country to support bringing all of our very best players back.

Sure the Sharks and Bulls, who are essentially Galacticos in terms of South African rugby, could afford to bring a large number of players back, while the Stormers could afford a few, but that’s where it would end.

Remove salary cap

To make it possible though we would have to do away with the SA rugby salary cap, and get more major investment into other teams, such as the Lions, who could do with a much bigger wallet to help them compete at a higher level, and then also sides such as the Cheetahs, Pumas and Griquas,who also need to get involved in international competitions.

But I think as things currently stand, where we are managing to slowly bring some of our best players back, is fine, and we can just continue building on that in the years ahead. Already the Sharks have managed to bring Eben Etzebeth back, while it took just one season in France for Siya Kolisi to realise the grass isn’t greener overseas.

The Bulls also pulled off a massive coup by getting Handre Pollard to return, while they also impressively held onto Willie le Roux.

Even the Stormers roped Damian Willemse into a long term deal that has helped stave off recent interest for the Bok utility back from Leinster.

So things are looking up and though we would love to see the likes of Cheslin Kolbe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Damian de Allende, Lood de Jager, Faf de Klerk, Jesse Kriel, Malcolm Marx, Franco Mostert and Kwagga Smith, among many others, all playing in South Africa, a number of things would have to change to make it possible.