Michael Rhodes

 Saracens is lucky to get him - he is a quality player.  Likely to be in the England side in future - a great loss for the Stormers and SA Rugby.     

If England don't seriously start restricting the mass import of sportsmen to their club sides, all the National teams are going to suffer. 

 

 We don't want him in our team, Mike !! For goodness sake, we would like to have our own players thank you. Why can't you understand that ?
Yes, bluebok. Some of us have been saying this for years and others are now starting to think our way too !! 

 becs
Let me be clear on the issue.  A while back I wrote that the import of players from foreign countries is harming the development of local talent - be it in rugby, soccer or cricket.   That in its turn has a longer term negative impact on the selection of locals to play international sport.   
I think that the issue is to my mind clear - the English and French rugby clubs are doing local rugby players no favours - and they will cause untold damage to the sport ultimately.   
In this case I am not blaming Michael Rhodes for the issue - I merely refer to his talents as a player and that he may end up playing for England, while be ignored in SA from a national perspective.  That does not mean that I do not regard the conduct of the NH clubs as detrimental to local sport development.    

 Becs, we shall believe you when England actually stops selecting foreigners for their national side. Until then I will presume it is only a small minority that does not agree with the selection of foreigners.

 Players that rock up and expect to be selected as soon as they are qualified is one thing....Barritt is the only player in the Squad of recent years to fulfil that criteria. Other players have been here for a number of years and even played Schools Rugby for the country. That is another issue....some have an English or even English parents and have simply been born abroad. 

And just read the comments on the England Rugby boards and various Club sites if you want a view from actual Englush fans. You might realise I am actually right.

And stop accusing England of being the sole selectors of foreign players. Some of you don't have a clue. 

 becs
I referred to NH clubs - that surely include French, Welsh, Irish, Scottish and Italian clubs - not only English clubs.   The worst solicitors of players from SA is in fact the French - not so much the English clubs - bar Saracens and Harlequins.   
If you read my comments more carefully you may find that I actually support your comments on the issue of hiring of foreign players.   

Hopefully he is getting paid. Marginal international at best, so smart move as a professional. His pounds are about to worth a lot more too. Dollar / rand exchange rate is breaking out and pound / rand looks set to follow.

Good player and at least we are not losing another 21 year old  

 Becs, with respect, I don't think any player expect to get selected. Some might hope they get the chance I think. Of course there will be local complaints about the imports, but if it was loathed across the board as you believe, something would have been done about it already.  I get the feeling you blame the players for excepting good business opportunities. They operate in an open market like any other employee. They don't force any clubs to take them. Trust me, I don't like it either, as it stands, my team are going to lose a lot of players due to this, but IMHO, it seems you are blaming only the players and some clubs, whereas IMO it looks like the whole system is to blame.

 He is a good player, but the type of player that we produce in abundance in South Africa. Basically a loosie that is big enough to play lock, and a strong ball carrier.Given he is injured allot of the time, not a significant loss.
We should be selling him to make money, forget about a free transfer.

Mike, I should have made myself clear, I was addressing my comment more to Draad than to you and I apologise for the misunderstanding. 
Draad, I blame everyone for this mess. But the buck stops with the player....they make the decisions for themselves, ultimately. I'm afraid that is the beginning and end of it all. 

As Saffex is always keen to tell me, he might well be a British Citizen and live in England now, but it doesn't make him support my country. 

It's a big loss for the Stormers/WP. Rhodes is a physical player who can cover flanker or lock, in this sense he is very useful to have on or off the bench. His main attribute would be his strong defence, he maintains a high work rate on the feild in most matches. 

It's a pity that a number of great players have left our club, it's been Pollard, Brits, Bekker, Van der heever, now it's Rhodes. Who is next to leave Etzebeth? Vermeulen? De Allende? I wouldn't be surprised. 

Vermuelen has signed for Toulon has he not? French clubs are in talks with elizabeth.

SB
The signing of Vermuelen and Etzebeth to move to Bath or Toulon has not been confirmed, the reports have been false and misleading.

 The effete Brits are quite content to hand over their sports team to foreigners. Heck they have 8 million immigrants thus far in Britain and are quite happy to hand over the country has well!A few folk like Becs have some backbone and dont like it but the Brits will get what they put up with. When you become so liberal you are willing to have your country taken over by foreigners then you are far gone. Os has the right approach and is resisting being swamped by Asians and wont allow criticism to deter them.
Sport is one thing but the Brits must chiefly decide actually whether they want to preserve their culture and what they are or just disappear from the scene amidst plaintive hand ringing squawks. Men like Churchill must be turning in their graves. 
Why they need to apologise to anybody about limiting or even very la rgely stopping immigration beats me. 

 If Michael Rhodes played in a Bulls or Sharks jersey he would be a Springbok.

 Well ain't you a prophetWelcome noob!