Top Springboks awarded contracts to keep them in South Africa

Springbok captain Jean de Villiers, brothers Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis and Eben Etzebeth have been named among 10 players awarded long-term central contracts with the South African team. The South African Rugby Union (SARU) made the announcement on Tuesday, with CEO Jurie Roux saying this was the first step in ensuring a core of top players remain in the country in the run up to the 2015 World Cup. Loose forwards Willem Alberts and Siya Kolisi, No.8 Duane Vermeulen, prop Tendai Mtawarira, hooker Adriaan Strauss and utility back Francois Steyn also extended for two additional years. "This is all part of our long-term planning to ensure we retain key Springboks in South Africa as we prepare for the Rugby World Cup in England in 2015," said Roux. "The door is by no means shut for any other players to be awarded national contracts for the next two seasons. "To us, it's important to do what is best for the Springboks and South African rugby. We are doing everything in our power to keep players in South Africa and reward them accordingly. "Obviously we have some limitations. We're working with the provincial unions, but times are tough financially and in some instances we simply can't compete with what players are offered to play abroad. We're also not in a position to contract 40 to 50 top players, although it would be ideal if we could do that." In the past few years many top Springboks have left South Africa for lucrative overseas contracts with prop Gurthro Steenkamp and wing Bryan Habana playing in France and scrum-half Fourie du Preez and back Jaque Fourie in Japan. South Africa have twice won the World Cup - in 1995 and 2007. Source: AFP