Sale Sharks want to steal more SA Players

Is their not laws against negotiating with players who are in contracts? Or does this just not apply to South African clubs, or do England clubs just ignore this?

The Sale Sharks have offered long-term deals to Rob and Jean-Luc du Preez, while targeting another three Springboks.

The Du Preez brothers are currently on loan to the English Premiership club from the Durban-based Sharks, and will return to South Africa ahead of next year’s Super Rugby tournament.

Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond told RugbyPass he also hopes to convince a current Springbok hooker, prop and lock to join the club after next year’s World Cup, while extending Bok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk’s contract to head off interest from other Premiership clubs.

Diamond told RugbyPass: ‘Faf’s looking to extend for three or four years and so is Jono Ross. There is no chance of Faf going anywhere else and my message to other clubs is simple “go and find your own players.” The Du Preez brothers are doing well having joined us and we will be looking to extend their stay. (((Now suddenly Faff is an English clubs player). I do not understand why Rassie allowed Faff to miss test match rugby to play for this club pub team. This will only encourage them to sign more players from SA)).

‘Our recruitment drive is in South Africa at the moment with some of Faf’s mates. We are in intense talks with a prop, hooker and lock to come after the World Cup. They are all current South Africa internationals and we are in a good place.’ (So again current contracts are ignored). 

Why did the Sharks even loan these players out? All they do is get offered long-term contracts. 

Full story

Photo: Tony Marshall/Getty Images

SB

I do not think there are any Springboks at present not playing NH club rugby - whose contracts end before the end of next year.   I think the Du Preez contracts all end at the end of 2020.   There will no doubt be a flood of contract offers from the English, French, Scottish, Welsh and  Irish clubs to contract players in 2020.

I think the story is a load of BS  trying to scare off other clubs to make offers which could be more beneficial for the players than Sale could offer.   As such I do not think there is any rules that prevent cubs to negotiate with SA players before the end of their contracts in SA - but they better be careful about signing any agreements before a month before the end of the player contracts in SA - since they can be sued for damages by the SA contracts holders.   .

The article mentioned Malherbe as well - but his parents told me he  had  offers from French Clubs  and at this stage he is hesitant to consider any contracts because of family concerns.  This was also confirmed by his brother-in-law whom I spoke to this afternoon.    So I am not sure whether he will in fact accept any foreign contracts at this stage.