Jake White wants Springboks to ban overseas-based players

Bulls director of rugby Jake White has urged South Africa Rugby to not consider players plying trade overseas for Springboks selection to help the clubs remain competitive in European competitions.

With the South African clubs already exiting the Super Rugby competition to be part of United Rugby Championship and European competitions, they endured a tough time in the ongoing Heineken Champions Cup which saw Bulls exit in the round of 16.

Sharks also were eliminated in quarter-finals along with Stormers, who suffered a defeat against Exeter Chiefs.

With a number of the Springboks players including the likes of Malcolm Marx, Trevor Nyakane, Jasper Wiese, Handré Pollard, Faf de Klerk and Duane Vermeulen playing overseas, White, who coached the Boks to a 2007 World Cup triumph said the new rule if implemented could be a boost to the local clubs.

“We can only do that if we keep all the best players in SA. The way we do that is we make sure any player that plays abroad is not eligible to play for SA,” said White.

“If we want to save the domestic game, save the franchises in SA, and compete at that level, you have to have the best players here.

“There’s no other way you can do it, people debate with me about money and all of that, it can’t be about money, it has got to be about the desire to be a Springbok and play international rugby.

“We are not going to keep everybody, but if you get 50% of those guys back and put them in the franchises, all of a sudden the franchises get better, the Currie Cup teams get better, and it filters down".