A better shade of blue?

I really don’t understand the big fuss about where a player chooses to ply his trade. The best example of this is no doubt the move of Bryan Habana from the Bulls to Western Province. I do understand that some fans are more enthusiastic than others, but I think they are missing the point totally.

What people must understand is that this is a professional era, where rugby is a profession to these players, much the same as being an accountant, architect, or second hand car salesman might be to you. What stops you from choosing to take a job in a city other than the one you currently reside in?

Then there is the fact that these players are often originally not from the union they are now leaving, but were bought from another union in the first place. Brent Russell for example was schooled at Selborne College in East London, he then went on to play rugby for Maties in Stellenbosch. Russell made his provincial debut for the Pumas, was bought up by the Sharks, where he saw little game time, forcing a move to Western Province.

Now what I don’t understand is how far does this thing go? Should Russell have stayed in East London, where he was schooled, or was it okay for him to play for the Pumas? Then, once he had made a name for himself, and shot to stardom as quickly as he did, was it okay for him to move to the Sharks, and once he was no longer happy there, was it okay for him to move to Western Province? Where does one draw the line in this whole supposed ‘provincial loyalty’ thing?

Getting back to the Bryan Habana issue, I think some of his fans are forgetting that he was snapped up from the Lions after he hit the scene with a bang. On a similar note, the Bulls are notorious for buying in young talent from all over the country, and I don’t blame them. They are the best marketed provincial team in the country and have the money to lure the youth to the Pretoria franchise. If anything, this should motivate the other provincial unions to handle their young players better, and invest more in their development.

Another issue I don’t understand is why some unions fight to hold onto players who no longer want to ply their trade at said union. A current example of this would be Jaque Fourie VS the GLRU. In my opinion, Fourie remained loyal to the union for way longer than he should have. The Lions, previously one of the powerhouses of South African rugby, have been underperforming for years now. Fourie could have made the switch years ago, helping to build on his Springbok centre combination with Jean De Villiers. Fourie however decided to remain loyal to the GLRU. He now seeks to move on, to experience another lifestyle, another rugby culture, another city, and what is wrong with that? Surely keeping a player within the ranks, who no longer wishes to be there, can’t be good for team morale.

Tonderai Chavanga has been a mixedbag for the Stormers and Western Province. When he is on form and un-injured, he is devastating. One of the quickest men in world rugby, perhaps only rivalled by Jonge Nokwe. Chavanga has recently signed with the Lions, as he was no longer happy with the situation at Western Province, having to battle with the likes of Nick Koster, the fat Fijian and now Bryan Habana for a place in the starting XV. I feel it’s a big loss for WP and he Stormers, but if he wants to go,  release him, and wish him luck. He is after all still playing the game we all love. Does it really matter what colour strip he wears?

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