OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Thursday 11.00AM.
WITH the expiry on Friday of World Cup rugby contracts, Springbok rugby players on Thursday meet South African Rugby Football Union CEO Rian Oberholzer to discuss new pay packages.
Bok coach Nick Mallett, captain Gary Teichmann, vice-captain Joost van der Westhuizen, James Dalton and Andrew Aitken sit down with Oberholzer on Thursday. Of the Bok group that just returned from Tri-Nations matches in Australasia, Van der Westhuizen, Dalton, Mark Andrews, Naka Drotske and Krynauw Otto hold World Cup contracts. Chester Williams opted out of the “group package” negotiated by former Bok captain Francois Pienaar and signed his own deal. Os du Randt, who is recovering from injury, will definitely return to the Bok squad, and will feature in Thursday’s talks.
Said Oberholzer of the meeting: “We are getting down to the nitty gritty. It is about how much they want, and what we can give them.”
There is likely to be hard bargaining on both sides, with players dealing from a position of strength following their victories against Australia and New Zealand.
There will be three categories of players, with Sarfu and Mallett deciding players’ gradings. Players not on Mallett’s national shortlist will have to look to their provincial unions for contracts.