Rassie wants to help URC teams
|Published
FREED UP: Stormer Ben-Jason Dixon
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says he wants to help the South African franchises druk vir geluk in this year’s United Rugby Championship and it’s for this reason that he released Stormers flanker Ben-Jason Dixon and Bulls duo Johan Grobbelaar, and Canan Moodie to their franchises.
Erasmus made the call on Wednesday, with the three players not part of his matchday squad for Saturday’s Rugby Championship decider against Argentina at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
Erasmus says he could easily have kept them in the squad to be part of possible trophy celebrations, but that he wants to help SA’s domestic teams instead.
The coach explains: “It would have been great for the players to remain with us and attend Saturday’s game in Nelspruit after their contributions to our Rugby Championship campaign, and it would have been special for them if we tick the necessary boxes to win the tournament, but it’s important to do our bit to assist the domestic franchises in their URC campaigns.
“They have big games lined up, and every point in the competition counts, so we have no doubt the players will add immense value to their teams.”