Jake White calls for SA Rugby policy change to keep Springboks at home

White believes the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers are at a growing disadvantage in the Investec Champions Cup and the URC, where they must compete against European clubs able to retain more of their top talent, and says a change in policy is needed to level the playing field.

Previously, Springbok coaches were only permitted to select overseas-based players in limited circumstances, similar to the current frameworks used by New Zealand Rugby and Ireland Rugby.

Since Rassie Erasmus took over in 2018, SA Rugby has relaxed those restrictions, allowing overseas-based players to be selected freely. That shift has enabled stars like Cheslin Kolbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit to remain in contention for national honours while playing abroad.

While the policy change has strengthened the national team, White argues it has come at a cost for the domestic franchises, who are less competitive in club competitions as a result.

"We are going to have to think about this differently," the 2007 World Cup-winning Springbok coach told Netwerk24. "We are going to have to force the Springboks to play locally.

"That requirement was in force in our rugby before and I understand all the other arguments about players being allowed to play overseas but our franchises are getting the short end of the stick.

"I have referred to it often and I stand by it. There is no way a South African team, given the current budgets allowed, can win the Champions Cup."

South African franchises have a budget of around R97 million and 53 senior players and an additional R22 million permitted for four big names. Those figures are dwarfed by Top 14 and PREM Rugby budgets, with Bath spending around £8.5 million, while Bordeaux are capped at circa £12 million.

White said that while he is pleased to see some of the Springboks stars return to South Africa, with Kolbe rejoining the Stormers and Thomas du Toit signing for the Sharks, he bemoaned the fact that these players are spending the best years of their careers abroad.

"We are developing players like Cameron Hanekom and Kurt-Lee Arendse who will be playing overseas soon," he said.

"Cheslin Kolbe is coming back to the Stormers at 32, which is great but the reality unfortunately is that he played his best rugby overseas (in France and Japan.

"That's why I respect countries like Ireland and New Zealand. New Zealand has no intention of deviating from its overseas policy. It's simple: If you want to be an All Black, you have to play in New Zealand.

"We are also going to have to find a way to keep our top players here."