Just recently, Bulls coach Jake White hit out at the increasingly commonplace practice of top players – and numerous Springboks – taking up sabbaticals in Japan rather than remaining committed to their local clubs.

“We talk a lot about bringing players through, but our job is not to find youngsters and pay their ‘school fees’ by putting them in big games and then handing them over to other clubs to become rock stars,” he commented. “We’re not in that industry. We’re in a country where rugby is important and winning is important.”

White’s comments were in relation to Kurt-Lee Arendse, who has missed the bulk of this season while on ‘sabbatical’ in Japan.

It is of course a cash-rich market where superstars like Arendse, Cheslin Kolbe, Faf de Klerk, Damian de Allende, Malcom Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Lood de Jager – among many others – have plied their trade for quite some time.

Another Springbok eyeing Japan move

Stormers and Springbok star Manie Libbok has now been widely linked with a permanent move to Japanese club Kintetsu Liners next season, which comes after earlier reports of a sabbatical.

“With Manie, there’s been talk of a sabbatical,” Stormers coach John Dobson commented recently. “I suppose the first conversation was to get him back on the field [after his knee injury] and then have a chat to him,” said Dobson.

“I don’t want to sit here and say, ‘Manie’s definitely staying.’ It’s tricky… You’re not going to say [no] if Manie has a chance to change his life financially… He’s done so much good for us, been a big part of this franchise, the success we’ve had over the last few years.

“I don’t think we’ll say no to that. We haven’t yet sat with Manie, his agent and said ‘let’s try and work out a plan’.”

Meanwhile, another Springbok on the Stormers’ books, BJ Dixon, is also said to be looking at a move overseas in the midst of a release clause dispute with the Cape franchise that is heading for arbitration.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS JAPAN TREND?

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Src: TheSouthAfrican.com - https://rugga.co.za/springboks/is-another-top-springbok-about-to-head-abroad/