SARU has recently confirmed that the announcement that will name the next Springbok coach will take place earlier. The announcement scheduled for 14:00 on Friday, 27 January will now take place at 12:00.

Released on Thursday morning in a media statement, SARU confirmed that Friday’s conference has been advanced by two hours to 12:00, following the expected conclusion of SARU’s Special General Meeting at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town.

Heyneke Meyer, formerly Head Coach at Leicester Tigers, is the overwhelming favourite to be named as Peter de Villiers’s successor.

Even recently retired Blue Bulls and Springbok star Victor Matfield has said he would come out of retirement should Meyer be named the next Springbok coach. Matfield, who is the most capped Springbok with 110 caps, captained the Bulls to Super 14 and Currie Cup victories under Meyer’s mentorship. A possible return to rugby by Matfield is likely to lure the likes of Fourie du Preez, Bakkies Botha and Gurthrö Steenkamp back to the national team since they left for opportunities abroad.

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Sanzar announced this morning that the Springboks will be meeting the Pumas at the opening game of the new “Castle Rugby Championship” in South Africa in August 2012. The re-branded Tri-Nations now includes the Argentinian rugby team (joining Australia and New Zealand) that will take part in the new-look and new fixture line-up tournament.

The agreement was made official at a signing in Auckland recently with the Sanzar Joint Venture partners after several months of negotiations and included the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) and the International Rugby Board (IRB).

Sanzar CEO Greg Peters said that “The invitation to Argentina to join the Championship is a defining moment for Southern Hemisphere rugby and significant for world rugby.”

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The new franchise from the Eastern Cape (formerly known as the Southern Spears) will officially be known as the Southern Kings.

The Eastern Cape franchise will launch with a game against the British & Irish Lions in Port Elizabeth on 16 June. The Kings squad will be named at a later date, but is set to include a host of Vodacom Cup players as well as players originally hailing from the region.

A coach is yet to be appointed, although former Bulls mentor Heyneke Meyer has been linked to the job. WP and the Stormers have confirmed Rassie Erasmus will see out his contract with the Cape union which expires at the end of 2010.

Source: keo.co.za

Mike Stofile is aparently set to return to SA Rugby and be an influential figure once more.

The Sunday Times reports that the former SA Rugby Union (Saru) deputy president is an unopposed candidate for the position of independent director at Friday’s Saru AGM.

Stofile hasn’t been involved in rugby since failing in his attempt to become president in 2008, however, it is widely believed he still has ambitions on the presidency.

One of two independent directors (the other being either the Griffons’ Dr Jan Marais or incumbent Keith Parkinson) will hold the influential position of chairman, as they will sit on the Presidents Council.

However, it is believed that neither Stofile or Marais are hugely popular with the presidents of the big five unions, who think they lack the aptitude for the role.

‘They are supposed to have strong business and rugby acumen but I don’t think either of them has,” a leading member of the big five unions told the Sunday Times. “They’ve both only worked with small businesses and unions. Also, when Stofile left the last time he suggested his exit was racial. I wonder what’s changed.’

Source: keo.co.za

Springbok and Sharks star Francois Steyn could be lost to South African rugby within a couple of months.

According to a report in Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Sondag, Steyn has emerged as the major target of French club Racing Metro on their trip to South Africa next month and has been offered “one of the biggest contracts ever in rugby history” to make the move to France.

Steyn has apparently not signed anything yet, but according to Sondag’s information he is the only Springbok who is still looking overseas after the recent contract offers from SA Rugby.

SA Rugby’s player of the year Jean de Villiers, has reportedly said no to a massive offer of almost R4 million per season from Irish province Munster. Steyn’s contract offer is said to be in the region of R4.5 million per season.

SA Rugby yesterday announced the names of 19 players who signed contracts, but confirmed that CJ van der Linde has not signed a contract by the deadline on Saturday.

Steyn’s agent Gerrie Swart meanwhile admitted the young utility back has been approached about the contract.

“He hasn’t signed anything yet and will look at the offer with the same careful consideration and the knowledge of both SA Rugby and the Sharks. Frans needs to discuss the offer in his own time with his family and must then take a decision that will have all the implications considered,” Swart said.

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The sports bill that would have given the minister the authority to veto any decision relating to any South African sports teams have been withdrawn by Makhenkesi Stofile, minister of sport and recreation.

According to reports the new laws – described as draconian and which were innocuously delivered by Stofile and his department in December when leadership of most sporting bodies were on annual leave – were withdrawn late on Tuesday.

As ridiculous as it sounds, the bill would enable the sports minister to decide on individual selections in specific positions for any representative South African team.

Apart from the questionable timing of delivery of the bill to sporting bodies and the equally ridiculous limited time for comment, it was only published as a supplement to the existing law on sport and recreation.

However, according to the Afrikaans daily newspaper Beeld, a highly-placed source revealed that the regulations were set to be withdrawn, as they are apparently illegal.

Some of their proposed rulings that would have been implemented are as follows:
* No selection process is valid unless national trials have been held where each athlete who qualifies is given a chance.
* Management cannot receive national colours, with the exception of coaches. Motivation needs to be given for assistant coaches.
* Only South African passport holders can receive national colours, so players like Tendai Mtawarira and Brian Mujati cannot represent SA.
* Teams need to be chosen at least 30 days before any international competition and need to be sent to the Minister for approval.
* The Minister has the sole right to award national colours and to take them away or refuse them.

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The President’s Council of the South African Rugby Union resolved yesterday to move the Springbok emblem to the right-hand side of the national playing jersey.

“The decision was taken to accommodate the application of the National Sports Emblem – the King Protea – and to bring SA Rugby in line with other South African sports federations and planned legislation.

As a consequence of the change the Protea that is currently displayed above the leaping Springbok, will be removed from the Springbok logo.

“The Council took cognisance of the advice they received from the Sports Minister on pending national legislation and a consensus was reached,” said Mr Oregan Hoskins, SARU President.

“The possibility of retaining the Springbok on the left-hand side was discussed, as council had not taken a decision on the positioning and legislation remains to be promulgated. However, it was the decision of council to avoid confusion by making the move now and to prevent a future necessity of making a second change in due course.”

The timing of the change will be confirmed once logistical considerations have been finalised.“

Source: sarugby.co.za