Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jean-Luc du Plessis and Cobus Wiese all decided to end their contracts with the Western Province Rugby Union.
With SA Rugby setting a May 14 deadline for players wishing to end their contracts with unions after having their wages cut because of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, WP Rugby confirmed over the weekend that the trio wants out.
But the union gaan dit nie daar los nie and says in a statement that they consider “the existing contracts between the players and the Company... as binding”.
The statement adds: “WP Rugby has reserved the right to hold players to these contracts or exercise other rights that may be held.
“These options will be discussed with the players that have purportedly cancelled their
contracts...”
Die skinner is that World Rugby Player of the Year, Du Toit, is negotiating fresh terms, while Du Plessis is off to Japan and Wiese going to England.
It wasn’t only WP that suffered an exodus, the Lions were hit hard with the news that Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx among others decided to pak en waai.
OFF TO JAPAN: Malcolm Marx
Meanwhile, in Durban it is reported that Bok wing Makazole Mapimpi rejected a R9m offer to play in Japan and decided to stay at the Sharks.
Over in Loftus land gaan dit goed, where the Bulls have signed Duane Vermeulen, Gio Aplon, Arno Botha and Marcel van der Merwe recently, while losing Manie Libbok to the Sharks.