Foreign franchise: South African rugby suffers a player exodus

Durban-born Bradley Roberts is set to make his Test debut for Wales against the Springboks in Cardiff on 6 November. The Ulster hooker – who was schooled in KwaZulu-Natal and attended university in Stellenbosch before moving to Ireland for the sake of his rugby career – qualifies for the Dragons thanks to a Welsh grandmother. Roberts was rushed into the Wales squad recently after the team sustained a series of injuries in the front-row department.

On 13 November, the Boks will face a Scotland side featuring a number of familiar faces. Current Scotland squad members such as Oli Kebble, Dylan Richardson, Pierre Schoeman, Kyle Steyn and Duhan van der Merwe were all born and schooled in South Africa. They began their professional careers with a Super Rugby or Currie Cup team. Apart from Steyn, each represented South Africa at Under-20 level.

Several other Test teams competing in the northern hemisphere this November boast their own South Africa-born stars. Since representing hosts Japan at the 2019 World Cup, Lappies Labuschagne has led the Brave Blossoms. Bernard le Roux and Paul Willemse have been at the heart of France’s resurgence in recent years, while Rob Herring and Braam Steyn have featured regularly for Ireland and Italy respectively. These players began their professional careers in South Africa before pursuing opportunities overseas.

According to SA Rugby’s records, more than 200 South Africans have represented other Test nations since 1896. That may not seem like a significant number when one measures the rate of representation over a period of 125 years.

What’s interesting to note is that 68% of those South Africans have made their debut for an adopted nation in the professional era – from 1996 onwards. A whopping 40% have won their first cap for a foreign nation since the start of the 2010 season.

It’s not hard to understand why so many South Africans have represented overseas teams at international and club level over the past decade or so. Given the exchange rate, few turn down the chance to earn salaries paid in pounds, euros or yen. SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux put the matter into perspective in early 2018.

“When a player gets a great offer from abroad, we can’t compete with the money and the opportunities to go and play in another country,” he said. “There are tax and other benefits too, as well as the lure of residency and passports from other countries.”

Since 2010, more and more South African players have defected to English, French and Italian clubs. Irish, Scottish and Welsh sides have increased their intake. Japan, considered an exotic option some 10 to 15 years ago, is now a premier destination.

Recently, the US and Russia have bolstered their domestic leagues and, in the case of Russia, looked to recruit players from SA who can eventually qualify for the national team.

A recent DM168 report highlighted the fact that nearly 200 of South Africa’s best players are plying their trade for elite clubs in Europe and Japan. While Bok coach Jacques Nienaber is free to draw on this pool of players – and has selected 16 overseas-based players for the current tour to the UK – it’s plain to see how the exodus has depleted the depth of the South African franchises.

Geographical location and previous Test experience are no longer prerequisites for selection. Cheslin Kolbe, Rynhardt Elstadt and Jasper Wiese, to name a few, were based abroad when they were first selected by the Boks. That trend is likely to continue, given the high number of players – many of them youngsters – based overseas. Some players, as Roux suggests, have moved abroad to qualify for a foreign nation after completing the mandatory three-year residency period. 

Duhan van der Merwe of the British & Irish Lions charges upfield during the 3rd Test match between the South African Springboks and the British & Irish Lions at Cape Town Stadium on 7 August 2021. (Photo: David Rogers / Getty Images)