The South African Rugby Union (Saru) and the South African Rugby Players’ Association (Sarpa) will meet early this week to discuss the decision last week by the President’s Council to ban overseas-based players from playing for the Springboks.
The meeting could result in the President’s Council decision being ”rescinded”.
Hennie le Roux, the Sarpa president, told rugby365.com on Sunday he is confident they will convince the council to change their stance before the matter ends up in court.
It was reported on Sunday that leading Springboks, through their union Sarpa, would be prepared to legally challenge the governing body’s decision to ban the Springbok selection of overseas-based players in 2008.
Several of the World Cup Springboks apparently signed for overseas clubs believing that they would be eligible to continue playing for the Boks.
However, last Thursday Saru’s President’s Council decided that only players who participate in domestic competitions will in future be eligible for selection to the national team.
This ruling is set to come into effect after the World Cup, which starts in France next month.
Now the players plan to challenge the matter on the basis that it is a restriction of their freedom of trade.
Saru said in a statement on Sunday it has noted the concern expressed by Sarpa.
Saru president, Oregan Hoskins, confirmed Sarpa wrote a letter to the controlling body, expressing its concern and disappointment regarding the decision.
Hoskins also confirmed he had since then discussed the matter with Hennie le Roux, the Sarpa president.
”This is an important matter for both parties and we will therefore continue with our discussions,” said Hoskins.
However, Le Roux said a meeting will take place on Monday or Tuesday, between the players’ union and Saru, at which Sarpa will formally raise it concerns and ask for the decision to be ”rescinded and done away with it entirely”.
”It [the ban] is totally unacceptable,” Le Roux told the website on Sunday.
”We are questioning the constitutional legality of the matter and it also involves a restriction of the freedom of trade.
”From that point of view will contest the matter,” he added.
Le Roux said they, Sarpa and the players, are bitterly disappointed they were never informed about this decision.
”It is totally unprofessional,” the 1995 World Cup-winning Springbok centre said.
”I have spoken to Oregan [Hoskins, Saru president] on Friday afternoon and we will meet Monday or Tuesday to rectify the matter.
”We will ask the President’s Council to rescind the decision. In principle it is also an issue we believe is unconstitutional … which this instance has highlighted and given us the opportunity to fight this.
”I’m pretty confident if they are confronted with the facts and the issues with the rights of individuals, along with the fact that it’s unconstitutional, we should be able to get them to rescind it and do away with it entirely.”
Le Roux also said there was a lack of representation by players at the President’s Council, a body which often makes very unpopular decisions about matters involving the professional side of the game.
”This clearly is just another indication of how out of tune decisions are that are made at President’s Council level.
”We’ve been able to contribute greatly at SA Rugby board level, with input which affects players directly, and it limits these types of conflicts which takes place where decisions are made unilaterally without considering players’ input.
”This is a golden opportunity for the President’s Council to include us in that process and say there is a role to play there.
”If they are to continue to make decisions which are going to affect professional rugby and the players themselves, then clearly we need representation at that level. Alternatively we are going to continually be on the outside and have to fight decisions and get them to rescind decisions and confront issues which are not in the players’ best interest.” – Sapa