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(thumbnail: Jamie Roberts playing for stormers please)
In the aftermath of his latest grand final defeat – a humbling by Irish side Leinster in Dublin – Jake White once again took to the lectern to bemoan the lack of signings. This time, though, he adopted a different approach. Instead of complaining about South Africa players leaving the Bulls, he complained about the lack of foreign players coming to the Bulls. He cited Jordie Barrett as a prime example of a player his opposition has that he doesn’t.
And to be fair to him, he raises an interesting topic: Why don’t South Africa club sides sign more foreign players?
Surely, top rugby players would be desperate to develop their game and have the experience of playing in the nation that has won the World Cup more times than any other? Yet it is exceptionally rare for a single non-South African player to be fielded by a franchise in the URC.
There are many reasons South African clubs rarely sign foreign players. If you ask people, the main reasons you are given are:
Eligibility laws – Ireland, England and New Zealand do not select players for the national side if they play abroad, therefore the majority of players willing to leave are not elite level. Hence, why sign them when you can get a player just as good for cheaper at home.
Economy – the South African rand is much weaker than the euro or pound so the franchises can’t pay the players as highly as European teams can.
Lifestyle Change – someone used to living in Dublin, London or Paris will find some aspects of life in some areas of South Africa challenging, such as load shedding and higher crime rates.
Opportunities – There are only 4 elite level South African teams to service the largest player pool in the world. Those teams filling their rosters with foreigners would limit opportunities for South Africans that are already rare. This could potentially cause a political storm.
Furthermore, South Africa does not run an ‘exiles’ program. Nations with smaller populations such as Wales, Ireland and Scotland have people scouting the world for players who have ancestral links that allow them to play for their national teams.
This is how those nations’ clubs have been able to attract so many players from New Zealand – with promises of test level honours. South Africa has never had any need for such a program; Rassie Erasmus’s alignment camp in 2025 included 82 player – they simply aren’t short of talent at test level. What this means, however, is the Franchises aren’t getting reinforced by test level players moving to South Africa to boost their Springbok credentials.
(Pic blair murray playing for Wales please)
But let’s say a South African team does decide they want to sign foreign players – where should they shop? Where do they find good players they could realistically attract? If we take the first 3 reasons from the above list and seek rugby playing countries where these are less of an issue, we arrive at two prime candidates:
According to Numbeo.com – a website that compares the cost of living around the world – the cost of living per month in Fiji is within £10 of what it is in South Africa. Fiji also pick their test players from anywhere in the world, meaning their very best are available to sign. Fijian players would be ideally suited to a team such as the Bulls with their immense physicality, speed and offloading skills.
Other nations have long plundered the Pacific Islands for rugby players – Fijian born Timoci Tavatavanawai has just received his first All Black call up – so if anything, South Africa have been missing out. With the advent of the Drua, Fijians are easier than ever to scout and the majority of their best players have already been poached by European clubs. Individuals such as openside Kitione Salawa or inside centre Inia Tabuavou should top the list of any team looking to sign in those positions.
Los Pumas’ recent victory over the British & Irish Lions with several players plucked from the little known Super Rugby Americas competition has reminded everyone – if a reminder was needed – of how rich with talent Argentinian rugby is. A coach in the English Premiership recently referred to Argentinians as ‘must have’ signings due to their problem solving abilities on the pitch.
Justo Piccardo, the 105kg inside centre, currently plays for Pampas and was stand out in that Lions victory. He would be a fantastic option for any team needing a high IQ, a ball carrying 12. The cost of living in Argentina is somewhat higher than South Africa but one or two well paid signings could be easily tempted. There is already a culture in Argentina where top players are expected to go abroad, so why not Cape Town instead of Clermont?
To summarise, whilst it is unrealistic for Jake White to expect Jordie Barret or Jack Crowley to up sticks and move to Pretoria, he could easily bolster his squad with foreign talent if he did his homework. We have seen the likes of Bulls and Sharks successfully bring Springboks home, he’s not looking for a full squad here. 3 or 4 good signings is all he needs. South Africans are famous for making plans, time for Jake to quit talking and getting shopping!
