The 5 squads of the South African Super 14 franchises have been announced. This is quite substantial because there are no warm-up games between the Super 14 Final, on May 30th, and the first Test for the Springboks on June 20th.

“The national selectors and I will therefore be keeping a close watch on the performances of our teams and, in particular, those of the individual players who will form the nucleus of our squad to face the Lions,” the Bok coach, Peter De Villiers, said.

“As usual, we expect the competition to provide a platform for players on the fringes of Springbok selection to stake their claims.

“This is an exceptional year for our rugby and we hope to match it with exceptional on-field performances.

“A tough four months lies ahead and I would like to wish the five SA teams a successful and rewarding Super 14 campaign,” De Villiers added.

South African squads:

Bulls: Heini Adams, Bakkies Botha, Jacques Burger, Marius Delport, Fourie du Preez, Jaco Engels, Burton Francis, Rayno Gerber, Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard,  Wayne Julies, Zane Kirchner, Werner Kruger, Derick Kuün, Bandise Maku,  Tiger Mangweni, Victor Matfield, Akona Ndungane, JP Nel, Wynand Olivier, Dewald Potgieter, Jaco Pretorius, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw, Pierre Spies, Gürthro Steenkamp, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Deon Stegmann, Morné Steyn,  Pedrie Wannenburg.

Lions: Cobus Grobbelaar, Doppies la Grange, Jano Vermaak, Louis Ludik, Heinke van der Merwe, Jaque Fourie, Franco van der Merwe, Earl Rose, Anton van Zyl, Willie Wepener, Jannie Boshoff, Willem Alberts, JC Janse van Rensburg, Gert Muller, Henno Mentz, Ashwin Willemse, Michael Killian, Jannes Labuschagne, Chris Jonck, Hans van Dyk, Shandre Frolick, Todd Clever, Siegelaar  Allister, Lawrence Sephaka, Dusty Noble,  Thiliphaut Marole,  Ligtoring Landman, Okkie Kruger, Divan Kotze, Barry Goodes.

Cheetahs: Hennie Daniller, Danwel Demas, Corné Uys, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Fabian Juries, Meyer Bosman, Tewis de Bruyn, Frans Viljoen, Juan Smith, Heinrich Brüssow, David de Villiers, Nico Breedt, Kobus Calldo, Adriaan Strauss, Wian du Preez, Richardt Strauss,  Wayne van Heerden, Hendro Scholtz, Sarel Pretorius, Bjorn Basson, Kabamba Floors, Trompie Nontshinga, Piet van Zyl, Riaan Viljoen, Jean Botha, Flip van Der Merwe, Bees Roux, Jonge Nokwe, Bevin Fortuin, Hanno Coetzee.

Sharks: Skipper Badenhorst, Nikolai Blignaut, Jacques Botes, Deon Carstens, Keegan Daniel, Jean Deysel, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Alistair Hargreaves, Ryan Kankowski, Tendai Mtawarira, Johann Muller, Skholiwe Ndlovu, John Smit, Steven Sykes, Albert van den Berg, Monty Dumond, Adrian Jacobs, Chris Jordaan, Rory Kockott, Waylon Murray, Odwa Ndungane, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Francois Steyn,  Riaan Swanepoel, Stefan Terblanche, Ross Cronje, Justin Downey, Luzuko Vulindlu.

Stormers: Andries Bekker, Wikus Blaauw, Gcobani Bobo, Schalk Brits, Schalk Burger, Tonderai Chavhanga, Bolla Conradie, Jean de Villiers, Dylan des Fountain, Dewaldt Duvenhage, Schalk Ferreira, Adriaan Fondse, Deon Fourie, Peter Grant, Conrad Jantjes, Ricky Januarie, Francois Louw, JD Moller, Brian Mujati, Pieter Myburgh, Sireli Naqelevuki, Morgan Newman, Luke Watson, Percy Montgomery, Nick Koster, JC Kritzinger, Hilton Lobberts, Joe Pietersen, AJ Venter, Duanne Vermeulen.

Source: rugby365.com

The South African Rugby Union’s bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup in South Africa got a major boost following meetings with the government on Tuesday.

A joint delegation from SARU and the International Rugby Board (IRB) met sports minister Mr Makhenkesi Stofile and deputy minister Mr Gert Oosthuizen in Cape Town as part of an information-sharing session. The IRB delegation included president Mr Bernard Lapasset and chief executive Mike Miller. SARU were represented by president Mr Oregan Hoskins, Mr Mark Alexander (deputy president) and Mr Rautie Rautenbach (vice president).

SARU is bidding to host either the 2015 or the 2019 Rugby World Cups and is seeking government support for the bid. Interested unions will make their presentations to the IRB in May and a decision on the hosting nations for both tournaments will be announced on July 28, 2009.

“We were delighted with the meeting and very pleased with the government’s expression of support for the South African Rugby union’s bid,” said Mr Lapasset. “A tournament of this size – the third-largest sporting event in the world – is not possible without a close partnership between the government and the rugby union and we were impressed with the enthusiasm and the support the government offered.”

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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 New Zealand, Crusaders and Perpignan superstar Daniel Carter might be sidelined for up to six months following a partial rapture to his Achilles tendon on Saturday.

The 26-year-old was injured in the final moments of Perpignan’s 13-13 Top 14 draw with Stade Français on Saturday in front of 79,122 at the Stade de France.

The All Black had kicked his team level with a penalty two minutes from time after they had trailed 13-3 with just eight minutes remaining.

Carter’s appearance against the Parisians marked his return from three weeks on the sidelines with a strain to the same Achilles tendon.

The French club signed Carter on a lucrative six-month deal but he has played just five times since arriving in December after being part of New Zealand’s victorious ‘Grand Slam’ romp across Europe in November.

Details on the extend of the injury to his left ankle have yet to be confirmed, but club spokesman Benoît Brazè admitted that Carter has pulled on Perpignan’s famous blood and gold jersey for the last time.

“He has suffered a partial tear to his Achilles tendon - an injury that could keep him out of action for up to six months,” he said.

“Carter’s run with Perpignan is now over.

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The FNB Varsity Cup is back from the 2nd February to early April. “We’re taking Mondays back!” Francois Pienaar, former World Cup winning Springbok captain declared at the launch on Monday.

“I don’t know how to measure my side,” said Rudy Joubert, former Springbok assistant coach and a World Cup winner with Pienaar in 1995 when he was the Boks’ technical advisor.

He has just moved to Potchefstroom where he coaches the national champions NWU Pukke who lost to a last-second penalty (32-31) in last year’s Varsity Cup semifinal.

“We have oodles of talent, but not much experience at the back. However, there is so much character that I’m confident,” he said, lauding the structures put in place by former coach Matthew Proudfoot, who is now with Western Province.

Losing 2008 finalists Ikeys (UCT) were determined to do well, but coach John Dobson admitted it could be difficult.

“We caught the guys somewhat unawares last year,” he mused. “We were young and we were too light to get into forward battles and decided to run everything wide. Fleckie (former Springbok centre Robbie Fleck), did wonders and will be back this season.

“We’re hoping for the best and will follow the same approach this year,” promised Dobson.

Champions Maties, who won the 2008 final on the stroke of the hooter when they beat Ikeys, have been working hard.

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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 Leicester Tigers have decided to give Heyneke Meyer one more week to decide about his future at the club.

Meyer, who arrived at Welford Road at the start of the season, has returned home to South Africa to be with his wife’s parents, who are both seriously ill.

Club chairman Peter Tom had originally set last Sunday as the date to resolve the matter by, but chief executive Peter Wheeler has said Meyer has asked for more time.

Wheeler went on to stress that the club would not rush their head coach in such testing circumstances.

“I have spoken to Heyneke and his situation is still very difficult from a medical point of view,” Wheeler told The Leicester Mercury..

“I have said to him, ‘let’s give it another week’. If that is helpful to him, that is what we will do.”

Wheeler said that the Tigers board would discuss the way forward at next week’s scheduled meeting.

“We will, hopefully, have all of the information in place by then and be able to reach a decision,” he said.

“I have said to Heyneke that I will speak to him this weekend because we have got plenty on our plate this week (Tigers play the Ospreys in the Heineken Cup pool decider).

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Rassie Erasmus have chosen the strongest possible Stormers team possible to face the English club Saracens in the friendly Super 14 warm-up match at Newlands on Sunday.

Percy Montgomery will get a chance to return to the Stormers No15 jersey in the absence of the injured Springbok fullback Conrad Jantjes and Schalk Burger will be out for another week with a foot complaint, otherwise the team looks a close replica of the one likely to start the Super 14 campaign against the Sharks on Valentine’s Day.

Duane Vermeulen, the star loose-forward newcomer from the Cheetahs, will start in the No7 jersey, with Francois Louw being entrusted with the task of taking over Burger’s openside duties for this match.

“As you know, in our side the No8 is the openside,” joked Erasmus, who has often expressed the opinion that numbers on the back mean little to the loose-forward configuration.

“Francois will have the job of doing most of the work of the openside flanker in this game, but they will help each other out and do a bit of both.”

Vermeulen is normally a No8, so it is interesting to see Luke Watson retained at No8. What will be even more interesting, however, will be to see what Erasmus does with his selection once Burger is fit again.

As anticipated, Erasmus is giving Tongan Alipate Fatafehi, who apparently showed some good touches in an opposed practice session against UCT last weekend, a chance to show what he can do in a match situation.

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Eugene Eloff the Super 14 franchise Lions coach is thinking of not playing his star Springbok flyhalf Andre Pretorius in the pre-season match against the Bulls on Saturday.

Eloff, speaking to rugby365.com during a break in training on Tuesday, said he may keep the pivotal player on ice until the opening round of the competition proper - when they face the Cheetahs in Johannesburg on February 13.

The veteran Bok flyhalf, Pretorius, was named on Monday on the bench of the White team - one of two outfits who will face the Bulls in a double header in Johannesburg on Saturday. It would be his first competitive game in more than a year if he takes to the field.

Pretorius last played when he turned out for the Springboks in the 5-22 loss to the Barbarians at Twickenham in December 2007, injuring his foot in that game.

The 30-year-old Pretorius, who has had a catalogue of injuries in the past five years, underwent surgery - with the first attempt at fixing the problem not being successful, requiring the player to go under the knife again.

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Today is decision day for former Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer and the Leicester Tigers about his future with the English club. It seems likely that Meyer will not return to the Tigers.

The Afrikaans newspaper Rapport reports that the concession of the British club for Meyer to return home on compassionate grounds - both his wife’s parents are seriously ill - expires on Sunday, according to Rapport.

Meyer, who has an outstanding record with the Bulls and Blue Bulls, started coaching with Leicester this season. He has made a huge impact on the top English club and his departure for South Africa undoubtedly upset their planning.

The newspaper reports that Meyer was not prepared to discuss his decision, except to say that he will pursue the matter with Peter Wheeler, CEO of Leicester, in the week.

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