Kurt-Lee Arendse is reportedly looking to leave the Bulls for a move to Japan.
Japan is becoming the preferred destination for South Africa’s top rugby players, with the remuneration, lifestyle and type of rugby they play over there quite inviting.
Several prominent Springboks such as Pieter-Steph du Toit, Malcolm Marx, Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Faf de Klerk, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende ply their trade in Japan.
All of the clubs in Japan are owned by corporations and the salaries match those of the top clubs in Europe. But the rugby isn’t as fierce or demanding compared to the brutality of the French Top 14 or the English Premiership.
The season also aligns nicely with the Springboks season. The season runs from December to May, a lot shorter than the European season, and allows players to join up with coach Rassie Erasmus ahead of the incoming internationals in June and July.
The lifestyle is also very appealing, especially for young families. People can get around easier and the schools and food options in that country are very good.
Over the last few years many top South African players have also been granted sabbaticals from their local franchises to play in Japan on short-term contracts to earn more money.
Bulls wing Kurt-Lee Arendse is one of those players, and it seems like he is not keen on coming back to play in the United Rugby Championship (URC) again.
Arendse signed a short-term deal with Mitsubishi DynaBoars in the South African summer, and has shone in the Japanese competition with his fleet-footed performances, topping the charts for total linebreaks.
However, there have been various reports that he wants to stay in Japan despite still having over a year left on his contract with the Bulls.
Arendse is now heading back to the country after his stint in Japan, and there was talk about him featuring in the URC playoffs. But Bulls coach Jake White says that is unlikely after he missed some sort of deadline to return to the franchise.
Over the past few weeks there have also been reports of Stormers flyhalf Manie Libbok getting out of his current deal to go play in Japan next season.
The Springbok flyhalf was apparently initially given the green light to pursue a short-term deal with Hanazono Kintetsu Liners in Japan while still on the Stormers’ books. But now it appears that Libbok is seeking to leave permanently because of the competition in flyhalf position after the coming of age of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu over the last year.
White, who was irritated when fielding questions about the Arendse reports, stated that these short-term deals and the best players going to play outside
South Africa are not good for South African rugby.
“It’s not good for South African rugby that the best players who make the linebreaks are playing all over the world and not for our franchises. It’s a very bad thing,” White said.
“You build a guy and bring him to the club and make him who he is and then you don’t have the luxury of having him when you need him the most and at the best time of his career.
