Mass Exodus of SA Rugby Players

According Brendan Nel writing for Supersport.com, at least 45 South African players have been confirmed to be moving overseas.

As the South African Rand weakens, international offers have become more attractive and easier to accept for the SA rugby players.

Japan is not making it easy for SA Rugby as they put forward a new lenient eligibility system that allows foreign players to be contracted by clubs as long as they have not represented their country in the past.

59 SA players have been confirmed to be moving abroad, 16 of which will be moving between international clubs.

Players confirmed to Europe/Japan:

BULLS

Dean Greyling (Oyonnax)
Marcel van der Merwe (Toulon)
Werner Kruger (Scarlets)
Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier)
Le Roux Roets (Racing Metro)
Lappies Labuschagne (Kubota Spears)
Deon Stegmann (Honda Heat)
Grant Hattingh (Kubota Spears)
Jacques Potgieter (Fukuoka Sanix Blues – returns for Super Rugby)
Duhan van der Merwe (Montpellier)

CHEETAHS

Maks van Dyk (Toulouse)
Coenie van Wyk (Toshiba Brave Lupis)
Henry Immelman (Montpellier)
Willie Britz (NTT Shining Arcs)
Francois Uys (Toyota Verblitz – returns for Super Rugby)

STORMERS

Vincent Koch (Saracens)
Schalk Burger (Saracens)
Nic Groom (Northampton Saints)
Louis Schreuder (Kubota Spears)
Jean Kleyn (Munster)

SHARKS

Marcell Coetzee (Ulster)
JP Pietersen (Leicester Tigers)
Paul Jordaan (La Rochelle)
Joe Pietersen (Kamiashi Seawaves)
Kyle Cooper (Newcastle Falcons)

LIONS

Franco Mostert (Lyon)
Derick Minnie (Zebre)
Marnitz Boshoff (Connacht)
Warren Whiteley (Docomo Red Hurricanes, returns for Super Rugby)
Jaco Kriel (Kubota Spears, returns for Super Rugby)
Lionel Mapoe (Kubota Spears, returns for Super Rugby)
Elton Jantjies (NTT Shining Arcs, returns for Super Rugby) Lloyd Greeff (Zebre)
Warwick Tecklenburg (Kamiashi Seawaves, returns for Super Rugby)

SOUTHERN KINGS

Steven Sykes (Oyonnax)
Schalk Oelofste (Mont-de-Marsan)
Philip du Preez (Mont-de-Marsan)
Louis Fouche (Kubota Spears)
Aiden Davids (Toulon)
James Hall (Oyonnax, returns for Super Rugby)
Shane Gates (NTT Shining Arcs)
Jurgen Visser (Docomo Red Hurricanes)

SA SEVENS

Francois Hougaard (Worcester)

LEOPARDS

Bart Le Roux (Zebre)

Unattached

Gerbrand Grobler (Racing Metro, suspension ends October 8 2016)

South Africans moving between overseas clubs

Pedrie Wannenberg (Castres to Denver)
Nick Fenton-Wells (Bedford to Bristol)
Pat Cilliers (Montpellier to Leicester Tigers)
Dewald Potgieter (Yamaha Jublio to Worcester Warriors)
Matt Williams (Northampton Saints to Worcester Warriors)
Sebastien de Chaves (Leicester Tigers to London Irish)
Devin Hope (Coventry to London Scottish)
Jody Jenneker (Oyonnax to Castres)
Robert Ebersohn (Montpellier to Castres)
Juandre Kruger (Racing Metro to Toulon)
Pellow van der Westhuizen (Clermont to Montauban)
George Earle (Scarlets to Cardiff)
Pat Howard (Northampton Saints to Newport Gwent Dragons)
Rynier Bernardo (Ospreys to Scarlets)
Gerhard van der Heever (Munster to Yamaha Jubilo)
Jean Cook (Zebre to Kintetsu)