Jake White says it’s a “very bad thing” that Kurt-Lee Arendse is playing in Japan and not for the Vodacom Bulls at the business end of the season.
The star winger made four appearances in the Vodacom URC last October before joining the Mitsubishi Dynaboars in Japan on a sabbatical deal following his Test commitments with the Springboks in November.
The Bulls had hoped he would return to Pretoria in time for the URC playoffs, but White confirmed on Friday that Arendse had missed the cut-off date.
White didn’t hold back when asked about the lack of Bulls players in this season’s individual URC stats – including clean breaks where Arendse featured prominently last season – and whether it could be regarded as both a good and a bad thing for his side as it suggested more of a team effort this season.
FROM THE MAG: Kurt-Lee having a jol in Japan
“The player that we had who did all those things isn’t here,” White said. “Kurt-Lee’s probably top of the pops for the Dynaboars in the Japanese league.
“It’s not good for South African rugby that the best players who make the linebreaks are playing all over the world and not for our franchises. It’s not a good and a bad thing, it’s a very bad thing that you bring a guy to the club, build him and make him who he is and then you don’t have the luxury of having him when you need him the most and at the best time of his career. Unfortunately, that’s going to happen more and more, but I’m never going to say, ah well, let it be.
“We talk a lot about bringing players through, but our job is not to find youngsters and pay their school fees by putting them in big games and then handing them over to other clubs to become rock stars. We’re not in that industry. We’re in a country where rugby is important and winning is important.”
ALSO: Sharks snap up Bulls prop
White also reacted to reports that Bulls loosehead prop Simphiwe Matanzima had signed for the Sharks.
“You guys know more than me,” he told the media. “He’s still under contract for [another] two years. I didn’t realise you could sign a guy when he’s got two years left. [Another club] also can’t chat to a player while he’s still under contract.
“I’ve heard the same about Kurt-Lee Arendse and I’m concerned. There doesn’t seem to be a watchdog when it comes to who’s signing who, when they’re going, who’s talking to who, who goes overseas and who can stay.
“One week I read Kurt-Lee’s not keen to come back, and he’s got a year-and-a-half left on his deal. And today I read Simphiwe wants to go to the Sharks, and he’s got two years left on his deal.
“So next year you’re going to tell me, ‘Isn’t it amazing that the stats show your loosehead prop makes less tackles than the one you had last year?’ And it will be because the loosehead prop I had this year has gone to another club.”
Photo: Japan Rugby League One
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