Plans have been revealed showing the Crusaders aim to poach South Africa’s young rugby talent.
The Crusaders are currently in Johannesburg preparing for their Super 14 semi-final against the Bulls at Orlando Stadium in Soweto. Whilst this (hopefully short) trip won’t result in the Crusaders stealing any South African players, Business Day Friday discovered that the Crusaders have been planning to lure talented young South African youngsters away from South Africa.
A letter from the Crusaders academy has been distributed to schools all across South Africa, with the aim of enticing these young players to an ell expenses paid training camp in Pretoria from the 5th-10th of July. At the camp are expected to be current Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder and a host of former Crusaders players.
Their aim: To identify the best young South African players and pinch them for their own.
That would entail scholarship opportunities, with the aim of graduating through the Crusaders ranks into super rugby and possibly the All Blacks.
This is not anything new for New Zealand rugby…they’ve been stealing players from the Pacific Islands for years. However is looking at South Africa’s young stars a fair strategy?
Whilst it is not illegal, I don’t believe it is in the spirit of the game, smacks of desperation and is highly immoral.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has been notified and has stepped in to protect South Africa’s young assets. SARU CEO Johan Prinsloo told Supersport.com “We understand that it is a free market and that players will move, but we have had a look at the letter that has been forwarded to principles and sport organisers in schools in the country. We invest very heavily in our young talent with our extensive junior programmes at under 13, 16, 18, 19 and 20 level, not only in terms of money and coaching, but we also cover transport and accommodation costs for these junior weeks. All this money comes from the provincial unions and SARU.”
“We know that from time to time individuals will move to other countries, but we think that this time it is pushing the limit a bit too far.”
SARU have also written a ‘strongly worded’ letter to the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) detailing their concerns. They have also informed the Minister of Sport and may ask the IRB and/or SANZAR to intervene in a bid to protect the future generation of South Africa’s playing resources.
Johan Prinsloo also said “We had a meeting and decided to send a letter to the New Zealand Rugby Union, as well as the SA Schools Association strongly condemning this action. We also sent letters to all the schools involved, communicating to them that we have a major investment in the youth in the respective provinces and that it is our responsibility to protect and maintain this talent in South Africa.”
Good on SARU for showing great leadership. It’s time we put a stop to our players leaving and as Prinsloo also stated “What we find frankly horrifying is the systematic and widespread targeting of young players in SA.”
Ian Schwartz, High Performance Manager for the Bulls said this about the Crusaders plans, “It is surprising, especially as we know the Crusaders to already have such strong structures. They are normally one of the best sides in bringing through young talent. In practice it certainly doesn’t sound like the ideal situation.”
The move by the Crusaders does not surprise me as I believe New Zealand rugby is on the decline. The performances of their super 14 sides this season has signified how their one feared status and ability to produce tough, hard and talented players is on the decline.
I believe much of this is a result of many parents refusing to allow their kids to play rugby and who have turned to soccer instead. It has vastly reduced the number of sides playing rugby at high school level in New Zealand. This problem started 4-5 years ago and is starting to affect New Zealand’s young players coming through the ranks into senior rugby.
The decline of club rugby and the lesser importance of New Zealand’s provincial competitions have not helped them. I was surprised New Zealand agreed to the super 15 as I believe it’ll further lessen the importance of the Air New Zealand cup (and the Currie Cup).
Conversely South Africa have started to nurture their immense talent and provide a better transition for their youngsters from high school and into Academies and senior rugby. The Vodacom Cup and Varsity competition have been getting better and better, and this has only strengthened the player pool in South Africa, which has been reflected in South Africa’s current rugby standings.
In their semi-final this weekend the Bulls will have another reason to inflict pain on the Crusaders as this has certainly not impressed the local rugby community, and the Crusaders can expect a hostile environment when they take the field in Soweto!
Hi Sanjay,
Great to see a fellow ‘Brownie’ interested in rugby mate! I was born in Zambia and brought up in Swaziland, thus my love for rugby. Have been in Pune, India for more than 20 years now and proud to say that me and my bro are the pioneers of Women’s Rugby in India!
Cheers,
Surhud.
Hi Surhad,
Great to hear from you. I welcome your comments, and you certainly have an interesting background.
What team(s) do you support?
Do you play rugby too?
Look forward to your comments. If you want to write a piece on what you have done for Women’s rugby in India, I’d be more than happy to publish it!
Who has been poached from the IslandS? Trite nonsense I’m afraid
Hi Tony,
New Zealand (and more recently Australia) has for many years taken Island talent for themselves. That’s fine if they have grown up there or moved there permanently, but I’d like to see a two way relationship and something given back. That’s just my opinion, and I’m sure you may disagree.
This is nonsense. Please provide facts rather than spurious nionsense. Please tell me who has been poached! Unless you come up with some names you will be shown to be merely jumping on the band wagon. The vast majority of Pacific Islanders who have played for the All Balcks have either been born in NZ or grew up there. They are NZers and have been poached from nowhere. I can give you names but I love to listen to those who make thsse absurd claims. Go on tell me who has been poached!
Two way relationship huh! The majority of the Samoan rugby team are either NZ born or NZ raised. At the last rugby world cup 20 of the 30 Samaon squad players were NZ born or raise. The Samoan Rugby League team that played at the last Rugby League World were almost exclusively New Zealanders with only 3 having not been NZ born or raised. You really should not seek to give opinions on something you know nothing about.
Hi Tony,
Thanks for your comments. You are right and that is I have based my claims on opinion and what many New Zealanders have told me, but it is some time since I was in NZ and I cannot name any specific examples. Therefore it is unfair of me to say NZ has poached island talent without backing up my claims.
I still feel however that NZ has not helped their Island neighbours enough. I would like to see them (and the IRB) help these sides out more as I believe it’d be healthier for World Rugby.
Thanks
Sanjay
“I still feel however that NZ has not helped their Island neighbours enough”
Sunjay this is a different issue and you have a point. But please don’t mix the two issues.
As background there have been 4 All Blacks from the Pacific Islands that did not go to school in NZ, They are Vidiri, Iremia (who came to NZ to go to university), Schuster and Taumoepeau, You will note that 3 of the 4 came to NZ before the profession era. There are a further 4 All Balcks who came to NZ on secondary school scholarships. They are Sivivatu, Anesi, Lualala and Masoe, Evey other person of Pacific Island descent to play for NZ was either born in NZ or came as children. Here is a full list (there are 30 names). That’s it,
American Samoa
1. Jerome Kaino Came to NZ when he was 6 year’s old & attended St Kents Auckland
2. Frank Solomon AB 1931/32 Brother of Dave below who was born in Fiji. Both Frank and Dave grew up in NZ, Frank went to Seddon Memorial College in Auck and Dave went to MT Albert Grammar
Fiji
3. Bernie Fraser 1979/84 Grew up in NZ and went to St Pauls School in Ack
4. Arthur Jennings 1967 Came to NZ as a child and went to Northcote High School Ack
5. Tabai Matson 1995/96 Grew up in NZ having arrived before he was 5 and went to Christ College, Christchurch
6. Joe Rokocoko Came to NZ as a 5 year old and went to St Kents Auckland
7. Siti Sivivatu Came to NZ when 15 and went to Wesley College Auckland
8. David Solomon 1935/36
9. Joeli Vidiri 1998 Came to NZ as adult
10. Ron Williams 1988/89 Grew up in NZ and went to Westlake Boys. He was of European Fijian descent and later in his career played for Fiji. He played no Test matches
Samoa
11. Sosene Anesi 2005 Came to NZ on Scholarship to St Pauls, Hamilton
12. Olo Brown 1990/98 Came to NZ as child – went to Mt Albert Grammar from 1981-85
13. Eroni Clarke 1992/98 Came to NZ at an early age & went to Henderson H School in Ack
14. Jerry Collins 2000/07 Came to NZ as a 4 year old – attended St Pat’s Collage Wton
15. Alama Ieremia 1994/2000 Came to NZ to go to Victoria University, Wton
16. Casey Laulala 2004/06 Came to NZ on scholarship to Wesley
17. Chris Masoe 2005/07 Came to NZ on scholarship to Wanganui College
18. Mils Miliaina 2003 – Came to Invercargill as 2 year old Attended Kelston Boys.
19. Jonny Schuster 1987/89 Came to NZ after secondary school as a teenager and entered senior club rugby with Marist in Auckland in 1983. He played for NZ Colts
20. John Schwalger 2007 – Grew up in Porirua, Wellington (as did Jerry Collins, Rodney So’oialo) – attended Bishop Viard College were he was head boy. Came to NZ when he was a child
21. Rodney So’oialo 2002 – Came to NZ as a 5 year old – attended Mana College Wton
22. Isaia Toeava – Came to NZ as a 7 year old – attended De La Salle College, Ack
23. Vaiaiga Tuigamala Came to NZ when he was 4 years old attended Kelston Boys, Ack
Tonga
24. Pita Alatini 1999/01 son of a member of the Tongan team in New Zealand in 1969, came to New Zealand as a child & attended Kings College, Auckland
25. Walter Batty 1928/31
26. Sione Lauaki 2005/07 Came to NZ aged 7 & attended Kelston Boys, Ack
27. Isitolo Maka 1998 raised in Auckland & attended Sacred Heart College
28. Charles Riechelman 1997 Part Tongan & born there but grew up in NZ and went to Auckland Grammar
29. Saimone Taumoepeau 2004 Came to NZ after leaving school
30. Osaiasi Vanisi 1990 Came to NZ as a child and grew up in Dunedin Moved to Auckland and attended Kings
Hi Tony,
Thanks for your comments and information. I will endeavour to get my facts straight and not cloud the 2 issues.
What is your background in rugby as you have a wealth of information?
Just did sabstantial response but didn’t load. Suffice to say that I have reasonably knowledge of NZ rugby but I have been frustrated for years by claims that NZ pinch players from the Islands. By and large this is nonsense and particularly with Samoa (in which NZ has very close relations) NZ has a very close relationship. Almost 10% of NZers population is of paciifc island lineage. so it is only natural that the Abs will increasingly have more ethnically Samoan and Tongan players in their ranks. I get fed up with the lies spread on this matter and the insults that particularly come form the north that these guys are not really NZers.
Here is an eaxmple – in 2008 Denis O’Brien, an Irish businessman told Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper that he had set up a fund large enough to ensure Samoa’s top 40 players did not have to move elsewhere.
“I hate bullies and New Zealand bullies the islands,” O’Brien said after a meeting with the Samoan prime minister, who claimed New Zealand was “pinching” his country’s best players by promising hefty salaries.
However Peter Schuster, head of the Samoan Rugby Union told O’Brien where to get off. He said “The Samoa Rugby Union does not accept the description by Mr O’Brien of its relationship with the NZ Rugby Union as one where it is being bullied,”. Schuster said “Samoa has benefited from its players based in New Zealand as well as from technical assistance provided by the New Zealand Union.
The Pacific Island nation is looking to New Zealand and Australia for a technical advisor, and recently recruited a new trainer from the New Zealand Super 14 franchise the Chiefs.
Samoan rugby cherishes its long-standing relationship with New Zealand. Many of our families have benefited through New Zealand’s education and sporting system. It’s a place where we have not just sporting ties, it’s a place of strong cultural and family identity.”
At th time the New Zealand Rugby Union released figures which showed that from 2005 to 2007, 51 players who represented Samoa internationally played their first-class or club rugby in New Zealand (well over half had been born in NZ). During the same period, only nine Samoan-born players represented the All Blacks and one, Jerome Kaino, was from American Samoa.
From the Samoan squad for the 2007 World Cup, 12 players were born in New Zealand and six others spent all their careers playing there (i.e. they grew up in New Zealand).”
Thanks for all your insights Tony, you are a wealth of knowledge!
If you want to write or post on my website about a topic that is obviously very important to you, I would welcome the chance to have you contribute.
You have educated me, and changed my point of view. Keep up the good work.
Sanjay Deva
Yes Sanjay I would welcome the opportunity to put something forward. Focus on the way that NZ has changed markedly in the last 30-40 years and this is reflected in make up of the rugby team. Up until 1960s/70s migration largely came from Britain. In last 30-40 years has been massive immigration from the Pacific Islands and in the last 20 years from Asia. About 30 percent of NZs population is now non-white.
Re rugby on Saturday I can’t agree that the refereeing was agin SA. They are their own worst enemies – lack of discipline – and PDv can moan all he likes but until they become more able to control rogue elements then they will continue to see yellow. Henry has been excellent in demanding discipline and it has worked. ABs record I imagine in last 10 years has been excellent in terms of players keepign out of trouble.