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It’s better to be a politician than a rugby star in South Africa, a pal tells me. Join the government, stick your hand into the cookie jar and, if you’re caught, it’s likely you’ll be punished by being made an ambassador to a banana republic and given a hefty golden handshake.
Springboks, who are poorly paid at home, can also get on to the gravy train, but they have to do so by playing in France or Japan, the two most popular destinations.
The Moulin Rouge in Paris and the Geisha Girls of Tokyo draw tourists, but it’s the money Springboks get paid overseas that has spurred our exodus.
I’m told that Springbok backline star JP Pietersen, who plays in Japan for the Wild Knights, earns more than five times what he makes a year in South Africa off his provincial and national contracts combined.
Bryan Habana, one of the world’s best wingers, who turns out for Toulon in France, banks millions more than he would get from South Africa’s penny-pinching officials.
Nearly 50 of South Africa’s leading players now lace up their boots on foreign shores and that gives Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer a major headache. He can call on the Springbok stars when South Africa holds training camps for the World Cup crunch later this year, but this is no way to prepare for the battle we last won in 2007.
The New Zealanders, on the other hand, do not pick any of their overseas players for All Blacks teams. Officials there say that selecting them would cheapen the jersey. That decision has discouraged most of their top players from going abroad.
Stars such as Richie McCaw and Dan Carter plus others have decided to take their trips after the World Cup, which will be their last matches for the All Blacks. Because of this, the New Zealand home squad boasts an enviable line-up and one that will starts as favourite for the showpiece.
Australia have relaxed their ban on overseas players and now they will be eligible for selection for the Wallabies, so long as they have played more than 60 Tests for Australia and have also held a professional contract with an Australian Super Rugby franchise for a total of at least seven years.
Adding to South Africa’s woes is the injuries that older players have suffered. Fourie du Preez, Meyer’s main hope for the scrumhalf berth who plays in Japan, has injured his knee and it would be a big loss if he wasn’t fit enough come the World Cup.
Older players are more susceptible to injury and Meyer runs that risk especially since his other mainstay, the 38-year-old Victor Matfield, has had injury problems, too.
It’s a mistake, in my view, to pin your hopes on survivors from the 2007 World Cup-winning squad. That’s all of eight years ago. Matfield, who remains a guru in the lineouts and in setting up a rolling maul, isn’t up to it in general play anymore.
I still hope we can succeed, but a better-balanced team, with a younger set included, is the way to go. It might be too late to change our skop-skiet-and-donder (kick, shoot and beat up) game plan, but young blood could give the Springboks a much-needed transfusion.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.