N24
Bulls mentor Jake White again raised the Springboks' overseas player policy in the aftermath of the URC final.
He argues the system will eventually harm the local franchises irrevocably because they won't even have the leverage of telling a player his international career is dependent on staying.
Despite their success in the market, the Bulls have still seen some key players depart for better offers in Europe and Japan.
While it's expected that the majority of his Bulls vintage for 2021/22 will remain intact for next season, Jake White has again reiterated that the Springboks' overseas ruling must be revisited if franchises are to remain strong in Europe.
Saturday's 18-13 loss to the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship(URC) final at Cape Town Stadium snapped the Bulls' streak of success in showpiece matches and also proved stalwart Arno Botha's last match for the franchise before departing for Lyon in France.
With a weekend report also intimating that inspirational skipper Marcell Coetzee was going to supplement his income with a short-term stint in Japan before his Bok recall, there's a distinct sense that White's dream of building a team over four to five years might be a pipe dream due to market realities.
And the Bulls' director of rugby believes giving players free reign to still play in the Green-and-Gold while representing foreign clubs merely adds to the exodus.
"It shouldn't be allowed," said White.
"They can't be overseas and then come back and be a Springbok. It cheapens everything we stood for.
"The reality is quite simple. Why would you stay in SA?
"Ask every guy if he'd work in London for double his salary or stay here and the answer would generally be the same because they can come back and play for the Boks too."
As much as White has achieved much success with his recruitment over the past two years, he's also lost players of national interest in Marco van Staden, Trevor Nyakane and Ivan van Zyl.
Underrated lock Walt Steenkamp and his previous partner-in-crime Sintu Manjezi as well as brilliant winger Madosh Tambwe are moving on.
As a result, White argues there's going to come a time when national interest starts harming franchises pronouncedly.
"We can build a team now and in two years all of them disappear. How do we make franchises stronger?
"I'm obviously excited by my players' development but how can I tell them to trust me that in four years we'll demolish everyone if I have no hold on them?
"It's another thing in SA Rugby that we just can't control."
