Far-reaching consequences

2006-05-07 21:29

De Jongh Borchardt

Pretoria - The alleged huge contract concluded between Kees Lensing and the Sharks could have far-reaching consequences for the contracting of top players in South Africa.

This is the view of Pretoria sports promoter and expert on sport management Willem Strauss. He says there is a good chance that the bigger unions could in future offer contracts to fewer players, but will pay them much more than what is now the case.

It has been reported that Lensing has signed a three-year deal with the Sharks at R1.5m per annum.

Strauss said: "It seems as if unions want to get rid of two or three average players to use that money to contract one super star.

"Obviously it's not that simple, especially now that the Springboks will only play in a few Currie Cup matches in the next two seasons, but I nevertheless think this is what's going to happen.

"If it does happen that the big unions offer contracts to fewer players, it could obviously have a positive outcome for the smaller unions who could snap up the fringe players. The unions' budgets for players won't change and they will offer contracts to fewer players if they want to pay the top guys more.

"The other possibility is the Australian system. The Wallabies are contracted by their provinces for just six months and then they change over to national contracts.

Play for their provinces only

"Why would a province have a player on his books and he's just available six months of the Super 14 series? You can even go a step further, where the top players can decide later on in their careers to play for their provinces only and not make themselves available for the Boks."

Strauss also thinks the Lensing case could result in fewer of South Africa's top players going to overseas clubs and that more overseas stars in future could play in South African teams.

Lensing said earlier the good contract offered by the Sharks, linked to the fact that he wanted to return to South Africa because of personal reasons, had made his decision much easier.

"If guys like Victor Matfield and Schalk Burger, to name just two, are paid what they are worth, they won't want to go overseas."

Lensing played his last match for Leeds against Jonny Wilkinson's Newcastle Falcons on Saturday. Lensing returns to South Africa on May 12. He is going to visit his parents and play for Namibia against Kenya in a World Cup qualifying match in Windhoek on May 27 before moving to Durban.

- Beeld