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Stormers prop forced to retire?
29/01/2008 11:32 - (SA)
Stephen Nell , Die Burger
Cape Town - Stormers loosehead prop Schalk Ferreira may hang up his boots soon. He has a neck injury that will keep him out of all Super 14 rugby this year.
Frikkie Erasmus, commercial manager of the Stormers, has confirmed that Ferreira will miss the entire southern hemisphere competition.
It has been learnt from another source that the injury is so serious that the player's rugby career is in danger.
Ferreira was involved in a road accident late last year and allegedly runs the risk of being paralysed if he continues playing.
If Ferreira announces his retirement next week, as is expected, the Stormers will find themselves with a lack of depth at loosehead prop.
Ferreira, 23, is said to be highly rated by Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus. There has even been talk that he could be in the starting line-up for the Super 14 match against the Bulls on February 16 because of his high work rate.
The Stormers are unlikely to go shopping for another loosehead prop in the near future. They still have JD Moller and Ruaan du Preez as other options for the No 1 jersey.
Meanwhile, Western Province officials plan to retain former Springbok wing Pieter Rossouw in the union's coaching structures.
Served as consultant
Rossouw has been mentioned as a candidate to join the Bulls as backline coach.
He served as consultant to the WP Vodacom team last year and was assistant coach of the WP Under-19 team that won the provincial competition.
"We don't want to lose Pieter. He has done outstanding work and he has a future with us," WP's chief executive, Theuns Roodman, said on Wednesday. "I was shocked when I read about the Bulls' interest in him."
Roodman said the WP coaching teams would be discussed at a meeting on Monday evening.
Rossouw has not signed a new contract with the union.
Morris Gilbert reports from Pretoria that Rossouw is, according to Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, a candidate for the job, but a process will be followed to appoint a new backline coach.
"I will cast the net wider because the names of candidates who were not available at first may now be added to the new shortlist," Ludeke said.
* SA Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins and new Springbok coach Peter de Villiers met in Durban on Wednesday.
"I assured Peter of my support," Hoskins said in a statement released afterwards.
Hoskins also plans to meet former Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer soon.
"I told Heyneke last week it would only be right to have a meeting with Peter first," he said.
- Die Burger
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