There are only 45 professional rugby contracts up for grabs at the Western Province Rugby Union.
That means we have a hengse klomp desperate manne out there at the moment.
Kyk, it’s that time of the year where contracts are either renewed or ended.
Just this past weekend we learned of two more WP youngsters, David Kriel and Dan Jooste, that will be going to other unions once their contracts end in October.
Good on you chaps.
A word to other players bubbling under: if you get a contract anywhere else, take it.
Not that I’m encouraging our talented players at the union to leave, but the competition in Cape Town is beslis the toughest in the
country.
MOVING ON: David Kriel has exit offer
Stormers coach John Dobson last week admitted that it’s a stressful time for the players and said that he wished the speculation surrounding his players would just die down.
Unsettling as it is, the reality is some of the guys will be returning to training at the High Performance Centre in Bellville today with a big smile on their faces, while others will probably leave the building teary-eyed some time this week if discussions over contract renewals don’t got that well.
The problem for Dobson is that he wants to split his squad into two because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The move will allow him to field a B team if one of the players in the A team gets infected and the squad has to be isolated for two weeks.
Now the numbers for this don’t add up and that’s why the South African Rugby Union’s contract system couldn’t have come at a worse time for
professional rugby.
LOST TO THE SYSTEM: Star prospect Dan Jooste is leaving Province
With a salary cap of only R60m for the year, I reckon Province will be wise to leave some money in the bank for pay-as-you-go deals.
Dobson mentioned that he will get in some club players and juniors to help his teams get ready for whatever tournament we will get when matches can resume.
So while the pandemic was bad for some players who perhaps didn’t get the opportunity to show their worth in what could have been a breakthrough season, it has brought renewed hope for the working-class heroes out there.
I reckon if they haven’t spent all of the money on salaries, unions should have some in the kitty for these guys.
And the thought of representing your province while at the same time getting a financial shot in arm for a Saturday’s work will appeal to many amateur players out there.
While the dream could become a reality in these troubled times, it won’t just happen to anyone.
Now I’ve seen social media posts of two different kinds of club
players during this lockdown.
The one is enjoying the quiet time and chilling at home with the family putting on some extra weight, while the other one is doing star-jumps, pumping iron and running in his backyard like a mad man.
It’s the one that has worked hard behind closed doors that will get the chance to break through - nothing to do with luck, but everything with hard work.
UP FOR GRABS: Local club players could get chance in the Streeptrui
The easiest way for a talented player, who perhaps gets invited to train with the Stormers during this time, to impress is to be in peak physical condition and fit on top of that.
I have mentioned before that I think the coronavirus is a great equaliser worldwide - if I haven’t mentioned it here, I am doing it now.
Thereby, I mean opportunities will be aplenty once we’re all released “into the wild” again - it will be anyone’s game.
Are you ready, or have you just gone through the motions while waiting for lockdown to end?
PS: Good luck to all the guys looking to extend their contracts. As for the club players hoping to break through, don’t be disheartened, with no Craven Week and youth tournaments this year there will be a shortage of “system”players next term.
Dis nou jou kans, gryp hom.