Jake White frustrated at SA rugby’s brawn drain

Bulls coach Jake White has once again expressed frustration that SA teams groom players to make European teams stronger in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and Champions Cup.

Every year, talented SA players are lured by huge money contracts to Japan and Europe to weaken this country’s franchises in the competitive URC and Champions Cup.

Last week, the Bulls lost 47-14 to a Leinster side who were fully stocked with a number of players who featured for Ireland during the Six Nations. White would like to see SA teams achieve the same and the best players staying in SA.

“As soon as the decision is made [by SA’s rugby hierarchy], the best players play in SA, or it can take forever — that’s as easy as it is,” White said ahead of the Bulls’ Champions Cup round of 16 clash against Lyon at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

“You must understand one thing, you always have to compare apples with apples. We play Lyon this weekend — their hooker Liam Coltman is an All Black, their tighthead prop [Feao Fotuaika] plays for Tonga, Monty Ioane plays for Italy and Semi Radradra plays for Fiji.

“We don’t pick international players from other countries like Fiji, Tonga or the All Blacks. We can only pick SA players but if you can’t pick the best SA players available, all we are going to do is pay our school fees in big competitions by playing young and enthusiastic players who will then leave to play against you.

“We can’t have a situation where we coach guys to only end up going to other big clubs. A lot of clubs talk about their desire to be big but you only ever get that by keeping your team together for many years.

“Look at the Springbok team, they have been together for eight years and that’s a recipe for success and not a hidden secret. I am not taking anything away from the group I have now because you only work with what you have.

“But if you had RG Snyman, Lood de Jager, Jason Jenkins, Jesse Kriel, Handrè Pollard, Ivan van Zyl, Hanro Liebenberg and Trevor Nyakane for last weekend against Leinster, I can tell you now the score would not have been the same.”