Ranked Bad To Worst, South African Players That Failed After Moving To Europe
Rugby Financial Crisis Provides Uncertain Future For Players
South African players’ left in limbo following the latest English Premiership financial crackdown…
The English Premiership has recently come under fire due to the financial crisis that saw the collapse of former top-flight clubs Wraps and Worcester earlier this season. The dissolution of these once-prized clubs has left hundreds of employees jobless, with several South African players facing uncertain futures.
The financial strife should not come as a surprise to many as the Rugby Football Union has been experiencing money woes for a while with some clubs receiving disciplinary action for exceeding the salary cap while others are still recovering from the financial hit brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic which left them with no income for two seasons.
As league officials grapple with the crisis plaguing English Rugby, they cannot rule out more clubs from being suspended on financial grounds with the Newcastle Falcons suspected to follow suit into liquidation. So where does this leave their players?
While poor oversight from the league’s governing bodies contributed to the demise of the Wasps and Worcester, the situation does present an opportunity to create more safeguards to help prevent such issues from occurring again. However, it has also left many South African players, who according to research leave their homeland due to the political unrest and economic volatility, displaced with no concrete future.
True, these rugby players have seen better days, so you might want to think twice when placing a wager on them. The good news is, there are many South African casinos offering no deposit bonuses, and in the case of providers offering sports betting, free bets.
Read on to find out which South African players were affected in England.
1. Vincent Koch
Following six successful seasons at Saracens, Koch suffered a cruel fate when Wasps went into administration without him having played a single game in the colours of his new club.
Having won 38 caps for the Springboks to date, Koch was quickly snapped up by Stade Francais as a medical joker for Paul Alo-Emile until the end of the season. As a valued member of the 2019 World Cup-winning Bok team, Koch’s future remains bright and we are excited to see what’s next.
Prior to becoming a Premiership and Champions Cup winner at Saracens, Koch made a name for himself at the Stomers.
2. Nizaam Carr
When Wasps’ management was taken over for failing to repay their bondholders a debt of £35m, Carr was another South African player left in limbo. Capped five times by the Boks, the 31-year-old loose forward signed a three-month deal to join Wasps in October 2017. After the 2018 Super Rugby season, Carr re-joined the team on a full-time basis.
Carr then returned to his native South Africa back in June 2020, to rejoin the Bulls ahead of their entry into the United Rugby Championship. However, after finishing up his 1-year commitment with the Bulls Carr once again returned to the Wasps. After being yet another causality of the club’s financial struggles, Carr has once again returned to the Bulls signing a contract until June 2024.
3. Francois Venter
Venter found a new lifeline with the Sharks following the Worcester Warriors’ liquidation, returning to his homeland. The experienced player joined the Warriors on a two-year contract from the 2018–19 season after his stint with the Boks in 2016 and 2017.
Up until the 31-year-old’s termination, Venter made more than 50 appearances for the Warriors, following lucrative careers with the Bulls and Cheetahs. As the financial problems in the English Premiership worsen, it seems unlikely that Venter will be the last South African player to return home.
4. Francois Hougaard
The former Springboks star has experienced his fair share of career ups and downs. Hougaard’s arrival in 2016, when Worcester was just two points from the bottom of the table, gave the club the push they needed as they went on to win five out of their next six games. These victories helped Hougaard secure the club’s first-ever Premiership Player of the Month award.
The Worchester Warriors fan favourite spent six seasons at the club before joining Premiership rivals Wasps ahead of the 2021-2022 season. Which unfortunately would not end great for the scrum-half/winger as he found himself playing the waiting game due to the club’s recruitment free while they were in the process of refinancing the £35m owed to bondholders. The club was then formally suspended so there is no telling when we will see Hougaard back in action again.
