Hundreds of SA rugby players ply their trade abroad. With local franchises depleted of key players, and the quality of the game being affected, it is clear that player retention is an important part of fixing the problem.
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There are only a smattering of players Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber and director of rugby Rassie Erasmus really fear losing for the upcoming series against the British & Irish Lions. And one of them is injured.
Duane Vermeulen, Rugby World Cup final man-of-the-match and the unquestioned rock of the Bok pack, suffered an ankle injury playing in a Rainbow Cup match for the Bulls last Friday night. The full extent of his injury remains unclear although a Bulls source confirmed to
Daily Maverick that he is only likely to be out of action for a “couple of weeks”.
Hopefully, that early assessment is accurate because Vermeulen will be a vital component of Nienaber’s team this winter. The bruising No 8 has been by some distance the best and most consistent loose forward in the country since competitions restarted post lockdown last September. Which is no surprise as he has been nothing short of brilliant throughout his career.