It may still only be pre-season in rugby terms, but South African rugby stars still grabbed the headlines this past week.
Unfortunately, mostly for the wrong reasons.
Let’s start with the things right on our own doorstep.
The incidents taking place in the Mother City this past week both involved money.
Those who have it, want more, while those who don’t have it will take from those who have.
GONE CLUBBING: Ex-player ‘snatching’ golf clubs
My first example of the need for more kroon is Western Province and Stormers prop Steven Kitshoff.
Earlier in the week, it was rumoured that South African rugby will have to fork out R60m to keep the loosehead prop in the country and avoid losing him to an overseas club.
While the sente mentioned there magnified the truth - it has since been reported that he will possibly earn R27m in three years when and if he signs for Sale Sharks after the World Cup. I can’t stop wondering where the money issue will leave the game we all love so dearly.
ONNODIG: Bismarck du Plessis pushing physio
There is no way South African rugby can compete with these sort of figures.
You can’t blame Kitshoff for looking at his best option, if I were him I would jump at the opportunity to earn that money over three years, especially given the reported financial difficulties at WP Rugby.
But I also feel the need for World Rugby to do something about the worldwide financial inequalities we currently experience in the game.
If that means bringing in a salary cap or spreading the wealth equally among the nations, then that’s what is needed.
BUCKS: Steven Kitshoff offered a fortune in the UK
Anyway, while it might be onwards and upwards for Kitshoff, some players just aren’t as lucky.
Those of you who have seen the news that broke at the Stellenbosch Golf Club this past week will know exactly who I’m talking about.
Januworry is real. For all of us. But it’s especially sad to see a former franchise player having to resort to apparently stealing golf clubs to balance the books.
It tells me that something is seriously wrong with the rugby system.
Are we really paying our players so little that there is no life after rugby in South Africa? Is that why they have to go overseas in order to provide for the future?
Or is this just a case of mismanagement?
Whatever the reasons are, it begs the question: when is enough money enough?
Our rugby picture looked even bleaker this past weekend when former Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis, playing for France’s Montpellier, decided to shove Edinburgh’s physio with a ball in hand after he didn’t let go of the ball when Du Plessis apparently wanted to take a quick-throw-in.
Nah man, Bismarck.
RETIRING: Former Bok Pat Lambie. Photo: SAMUEL SHIVAMBU/BACKPAGEPIX
A 34-year-old veteran should know better than this. All that money and you still can’t set an example for our youngsters?
Then there’s Pat Lambie - the poster boy for a lamb to the slaughter.
The soft-spoken former Bok pivot had to retire from the game this past weekend because of repeated concussions.
While in my books Lambie retired the moment he decided to leave South Africa’s shores for Racing 92 in France in 2017, it is indeed a sad moment in a talented rugby player’s career.
At the age of 28, Lambie still had a number of good years ahead of him.
In South Africa, he will always be remembered for his cool head and his ability to switch between flyhalf, centre and fullback at will and also turning on the style almost every single time he took the field against Western Province.
I, for one, hope he’s got his post-rugby plans in order and won’t be looking for a quick buck like our Stellenbosch suspect.
The one shining light for SA rugby this past weekend was coach Jake White and his Toyota Verblitz team winning the Japan League Cup competition.
The team led by Springbok fullback Gio Aplon beat Suntory Sungoliath 43-34 in the final.
White is a proven winner.
And with the World Cup being in Japan this year, I really hope Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has the humility to ask the former national team boss for some tips with regard to stadiums, playing conditions and the tempo of the game best suited to the conditions.
It would be silly not to do so.
Not only will White’s input be appreciated, but it will be wise to get in the expertise of Aplon as well.
At 36, he’s seen it all and played almost everywhere in the world.
Having captained the team to the cup title under White, Aplon will have a lot to share as well.
Manne and the season haven’t even started yet.