Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber believes the United Rugby Championship (UCR) is affording South African players development opportunities that money cannot buy. The National team coach echoes the positivity that the South African teams have expressed since competing in the URC. Saturday’s final between the Bulls and the Stormers in Cape Town is the exclamation point on a hugely productive debut season for SA franchises.
The Bulls and the Stormers are preparing to face each other in the final of the United Rugby Championship, and Springbok coach, Jacques Nienaber is chuffed to bits. He is happy with the platform the URC affords players, and adds that mixing it up with the best from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy, as well as the teams soon to be crossing paths with powerhouses from the Top 14 in France and the Premiership in England in European Cup action is exactly the kind of development South African players can benefit from.
“For us having two teams in the final is awesome i think if you look at the long term development of the players who are playing in these big quarter finals big semi-finals and big finals of URC that is development of a player that you can’t buy you want players to play in big games like that the development and the experience they gain playing in big matches like that is invaluable,” says Nienaber.
The Springboks face Wales in July in three test matches at home before back-to-back Rugby Championship tests against New Zealand in August also at home. Nienaber was quick to point out that the Wales series is not the time to develop players ahead of New Zealand.
“It’s a performance platform you have to perform you represent your country you are representing a brand that has been there for years for hundreds of years so I don’t think necessarily the platform to develop as games are a great platform to develop,” Nienaber added.
The Boks are in Pretoria in a preparation camp. There are just 16 players currently able to take to the field while the rest are in URC action, and also turning out for the English Premiership and French Top 14 as well.
It’s proving a lot harder to get the green and gold together. Gone are the days of assembling a squad from just the five franchises invariably ousted early in Super Rugby campaigns of years past.
