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Sell Bakkies to highest bidder
29/04/2008 22:11 - (SA)
Morris Gilbert , Beeld
Pretoria - Bakkies Botha should not be forced to play for the Bulls and the Blue Bulls. He should be sold to the highest bidder.
These were among the opinions expressed on Tuesday as rugby administrators and supporters discussed the upcoming labour court scrum between the Springbok lock and the Blue Bulls Company.
Botha is trying to get out of his contract with the Bulls to join a French club, Toulon.
The Blue Bulls have insisted that he honours his contract but now he is taking the company to court.
This could open the doors to other players to follow suit.
Blue Bulls business manager Ian Schwartz said on Tuesday it was a reality that Bulls players were in demand and that they were receiving many offers from abroad.
Asked whether tighthead prop Rayno Gerber and versatile Springbok forward Danie Rossouw were among those, Schwartz said both had contracts that were not expiring at the end of the year.
Springbok flanker Wikus van Heerden on Tuesday emphasised that he had taken no decision about his rugby future, despite British news reports that he may be moving to Saracens.
"I maintain that I am only interested in giving my best to the Bulls in the remaining Super 14 matches, especially as I am captaining the team against the Waratahs on Saturday," Van Heerden said.
Would be unethical
Van Heerden added that his contract with the Blue Bulls expired at the end of October.
"I am not going to ask them to release me from my contract earlier because I feel that would be unethical. And it remains one of my ideals to win the Currie Cup in a light blue jersey," he said.
Fourie du Preez, who usually captains the Bulls, will return as a substitute on Saturday after missing the match against the Highlanders because of a hand injury.
This opens the door for young scrumhalf Francois Hougaard to make his first Super 14 start after a fine performance when he replaced injured Heini Adams in the first half of the match against the Otago team.
Judged by the way the Bulls trained on Tuesday, Hougaard will be the only change to the starting lineup.
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Rugby
