Lions quash Chiliboy rumours
The Lions have denied they are trying to get Chiliboy Ralepelle to move to Johannesburg next year.
Reports stated that Ralepelle’s lawyers were trying to find loopholes in his contract so he could play in the Super 14 for the Lions in 2010. Lions CEO Manie Reyneke said this was not likely.
‘I haven’t spoken to Chiliboy myself, but his lawyer phoned and asked if we would be interested in signing him,’ Reyneke told keo.co.za. ‘We were, and once the agent came to me with an offer, I then phoned [Blue Bulls Company] CEO Barend van Graan to see if he was out of contract.
‘Chiliboy isn’t, so we didn’t pursue the matter further.’
The deal seems set to fall through as earlier this year Ralepelle re-signed with the Bulls until 2011, but for both the Lions and Ralepelle it would have been ideal. The Lions have Hans van Dyk and Derek Harwood as the pair vying for the No 2 jersey, while the Bulls have three Bok hookers.
After returning from Harlequins earlier this year, Gary Botha’s contract began on Monday, meaning Ralepelle would not be the automatic first-choice. Derick Kuun will revert to flank next year, but Botha’s arrival means Ralepelle will have to fight with the former Bok hooker and Bandise Maku for the starting spot in the Super 14.
Meanwhile, Griquas lock Jacques Lombaard has been named in both the Lions and Cheetahs’ training squads for the Super 14. Reyneke said who he will play for hasn’t been finalised, but second row is another area where the Lions are in need of quality players.
‘He’s not contracted to us, but we are in talks with Sarpa [The South African Rugby Players' Association]. The kid is not happy in Kimberley, his family is up here and he wants to play for us, so he has been training with us since Monday.’
By Grant Ball
November 4th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
#49 Papoose:
If Morne was off sick for 18 months out of every 24, and turned in mediocre performances in the 6 months he was fit, I reckon the Bulls might well have tried to sign Butch James or someone when Hougaard left.
To Morne’s credit, he stuck it out until it was his time to shine.
And we all know forwards take much longer to reach their peak than backs. A guy can be an international flyahlf at 24, but international tight forwards only reach their peak close to 30.
Chilli is impatient.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
#45 Mustard:
That’s actually quite a good idea, but one would need to ensure that the people at SA Rugby make the decisions that are in the best interests of the players and rugby at large.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
#51 Tacitus: BS man, the falacy in ur argument lies in the fact that Brussouw is 23, is he not
i hear u abt the injuries but my pt precisely is that they dont have faith in the player cos of indifferent form and injuries
am i incorrect in that assumption?
if thats the case how is looking for a move impatient?
i honestly believe,yes the politicians have screwed him ova, cos when he shoulda been playing currie cup this year and developing instead of bench warming, he could’ve been honing his skills
its sad but this is one of the few players who captained the U/19 and U/21 SA teams in the SAME YR
its just so sad
November 4th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Chiliboy is probably the most overrated player in South Africa at the moment!
November 4th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
#53 Papoose:
You do know that Brussouw is not a tight forward right?
November 4th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
#51 Tacitus: I think Chilli is eager to get some regular game time in the starting XV which he wasn’t getting at the bulls and when they signed Gary Botha; the writing was on the wall.
There are decent players coming through the system in SA at the moment and if Chilli doesn’t act soon he’ll “miss the boat.” Admit it Tac you and many other Bulletjies are actually relieved he wants to leave.
#53 Papoose: Don’t let Katman see your “SMS style” lingo….he reckons it’s the literary equivalent of wearing the waist band of your trousers underneath your arse….ala 50 cent. LOL
November 4th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
November 4th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Won’t be long before we see Chilliboy presenting with Owen on Supersport
November 4th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
#56 Jozi:
Personally, I think we should sell him to the Lions, yes.
And then buy Adriaan Strauss back, as our no.2 hooker.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
#56 Jozi:
I must admit, I have an instant feeling of superiority when dealing with a sms-style contributor in such a forum.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
FYI Luke Watson won Senior Forward of the Year & Players´ Player of the Year
November 4th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
#61 SpringbokSarah: you forgot to mention AT WP!
November 4th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
#61 SpringbokSarah: I’m very happy for Luke and wish him all the best in England. He displayed a tremendous amount of character and strong leadership this season. He deserves his accolades.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
If Chili is not first choice hooker for Bulls and wants to go to Lions. Lions should fight for him. Contract or no contract with Bulls. Buy him out. Contracts don’t seem to be much in SA these days.
Other unions seemed to fight and get their man. Lions should do the same.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
If the bulls don’t intend using chilli boy then they might as well sell him.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
#51 Tacitus: Chiliboy is impatient but so are the selctors in selecting him purely based on the colour of his skin…
He should have been kept back and eased into the top flight instead of being pushed into it and subsequently getting injured every time he runs out onto the field.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
#63 Jozi: he plays a much better game when he shuts his gob and just gets on with rugby.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
#53 Papoose: WTF dawg, u think u fity cent or wot? Pull up ur jeans & get a job.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
The real problem here lies with the Bulls. They buy or contract as many black players as they can, because they must. But they don’t trust them to do the job. It’s the Pretoria way.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
#69 katman: eish … that’s a low blow…
November 4th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
I’ll take Chilli or Maku at the Lions. Both are good hookers. Hope we get Lombaard from Griquas. And Waylon would be welcome too.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
#70 Staal: Well, it’s true. And they won’t give up their AA window dressing for any price.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
#68 katman: Listen to Katman. You sound like an idiot.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
#69 katman: I don’t see much proof for that. The Bulls have never done anything like buying a player like Shimangi and sticking him on the bench. A guy like Adams has won many games for the Bulls-he just happens to be behind the best 9 in the world. Burton Francis would have played the whole Currie cup season at 10 if he wasn’t injured and would have played at ten in the Super 14 if Morne Steyn was to pick up an injury.
Habana, Kirchner and Akona have all been trusted, as was Dlulane (spelling?) before breaking his neck. Guthro is trusted and Chiliboy would have played a lot more if he didn’t keep breaking down. Julies also regularly started for the Bulls.
Please give me some examples.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
#71 katman: Waylon can stay at the Sharks. Take Adi instead.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Those of you saying that Chilli is impatient, i wouldnt agree fully. Hes been no.2 at the bulls for awile now behind kuhn, now they sign back botha, i mean what does that say of what they think of Chilli, they clearly dont have faith in him as their no1, well they implying it by signing botha. I think Chilli is doing the right thing looking elsewhere for game time, otherwise his springbok selection is never going to be justified if hes not starting, and forget critics, we wouldnt want a player starting to doubt hes own abilities, then he can kiss his bok career goodbye
November 4th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
#76 Mustard: The big problem with Chilli is that he is injured so often. The Bulls haven’t been able to play him regularly because he is either injured or he is away with the Boks. It would be interesting to see for how many games he has been available for the last 2 or 3 or 4 years. It won’t be many, and I imagine that he has been part of most games he has been available for.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Denial is proof!
November 4th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
#76 Mustard: Chili should really go to the Lions. Think he will be their first choice hooker and probably who knows their Captain too. If Botha is back he will be Bulls First choice hooker and they have Kuun too but then think Kuun not going to player hooker next year.
Lions should fight to get Chili just like other unions fought for their players. They should do the same. What comes around goes around so to speak.
Chili was a very good captain in the U19’s and 21’s. He needs to play on a more regular basis.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
#59 Tacitus: Let me see if I understand you correctly – you’d pick Gary Botha ahead of Adriaan Strauss?
Now I know you’ve been klapping the moer-jou-vrou-en-coke during working hours.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Weet nie wat die probleem is nie. Chilli is no 1 by die Bulls en Gary no 2…..of dink almal Chilli is slegter as Gary.
Wat is verkeerd om nog n haker te kry. Jy moet backup he in die S14. Hoekom het die Wp jaarliks sy gat gesien in die S14? Backup!
Nou koop Rassie en nou gaan hul heelwat beter doen met quality backup….imo.
Hierdee hele threat het begin met reportedly…. onthou dit…..
Soos ek vir Chilli ken gaan hy nie weg hardloop v n uitdaging nie.
Onthou Strauss het gewaai omdat Chilli en Gary bo hom gekies was…terwyl hy witwarm was……die ding kan v 2 kante gesien word.
Nee wat – laat hulle maar uitspeel teen mekaar….. kompitiesie is n goeie ding.
Die Bulle rate vir Chilli…. los hom uit.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
#79 Puma: He would if he wasn’t always injured!
November 4th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
wolfie, yes he has been injured alot, but when he was fit the bulls never started him as far as i can recall, he always came on with 10 or 15min left, and you cant realy prove yourself with the amount of game time
November 4th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
#83 Mustard: I would have to have a look over all his games to see how much he played. From memory, he was injured so often, came back, playing off the bench, and then got injured again or went touring with the Boks. This year in the Super 14 for example he was coming on after 50 minutes towards the end, playing himself into form, and then went touring with Boks playing 8 minutes over all the test matches or something ridiculous, when he would have been getting game time in the Currie Cup.
The Bulls haven’t been treating him badly, the Boks have been by selecting him before he was physically ready, selecting him as captain against the Barbarians (which was clearly a political move) and then never playing him whenever he has been in the Bok group.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Wolfie i think players should be contracted under saru, a single contract, no two or three contracts with their provinces aswel. That way saru could easily allow players to move between unions so they could get adequate game time and improve their bok cause, its the alternative to the mess we have right now
November 4th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
#82 WOLFMAN21: Maybe 2010 is Chili’s injury free year. I think if he could get plenty game time we will see the player we all expected he would be when watching him in the U19’s.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
#43 grant10: Yes, Marco Wentzel would be a very good lineout addition, and I rate Michael Claassens too
November 4th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
#85 Mustard: SARU can’t afford that.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
#51 Tacitus: Except WP Nel, Wian du Preez, and Coenie Oosthuizen lol… They seem to be hitting their straps early…
I know you will be loath to admit as much, so ask John, Beast, Gurthro, and Werner Kruger lol
November 4th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
#85 Mustard: now u’re talkin as this makes sense
even Naas has been punting this idea
especially with JLP moving to Bulls
does any1 know what it would take to get such an idea through or is it just a pipe dream?
November 4th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
#86 Puma: I agree completely, and if injury free, he has the potential to be a very good player but I think him constantly being selected for Bok squads without form or game time under his belt is not good for him, SA rugby or the Bulls.
It is the same with Maku. No-one knows how good Maku is, yet he gets selected for the Boks and now every-one thinks he should be at another union because he is being wasted at the Bulls. The reality is neither Maku nor Chiliboy would start at any other Union in South Africa apart from possibly the Lions. They aren’t better than Strauss, Liebenberg or Bismarck, leaving only the Lions, with Hans van Dyk having had a pretty good season.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
#89 Cheetah 4 Eva: thx
i missed the tight five labeling in naming Brussouw but i knew his argument was false non the less
November 4th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
#85 Mustard: My one worry of this might be that Unions might be reluctant to develop their own players when Saru can control where they play. Players like Kuun, Maku and Chiliboy have been developed by the Bulls. Lots of money, time and effort goes into developing them, and then having them contracted to Saru might make some clubs reluctant to develop players.
One idea I do like is a more open loan system which could see a player like Maku for example play at the Lions if Chiliboy and Kuun are fit, and then be allowed to return to the Bulls if they need him.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Please go to the Lions Chilli – and let us keep Bandise. I’ve got nothing against Chilli, a talented level-headed bloke who’s finding things difficult and realise his potential due to constant injuries.
At scrumtime, I’d rather have Bandise or Chilli fronting up then Kuun, sheesh but that boy is found wanting when we pack down.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
@ 88, they can, but they would need a different funding structures to the unions that currently exist
November 4th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
#91 WOLFMAN21: Yip agree. Chili must go to the Lions there he will get plenty game time. I feel he will be their first choice hooker and that means starting every game. Lions should fight for him. If he is only going to sit on the bench for Bulls that wont be good for his rugby career. Eventually he will fall off the pace like he has done a bit now already.
Lions must have more talks with Bulls to buy him out the contract he signed. They have Botha and Kuun they don’t need another hooker.
Okay out of here now. Cheers Wolfman and all. Catch up later.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
#96 Puma: Later Puma.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
@93 wolfie, i hear your point, but if unions were reluctant to develop players on that basis then theres certainly no goal congruence at all, developing a player to play for the springboks should be the ultimate goal, but i hear your point…..maybe in a perfect world
November 4th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
#85 Mustard:
#87 Cheetah 4 Eva:
Very good idea. Then all the unions can tender vs one another for the players and pay SA Rugby for them. Nothing wrong with that if you place a cap on the total a union can spend on player acquisitions. Senior players won’t like that though, unless SA Rugby pays the total bid salary over to the player, and then you’re back to square one, apart from SARugby maybe having a veto right by meeting the higest price and placing the player where SA Rugby sees fit.
But then that opens up a different can of worms alltogether, and we’d better not go there.
November 4th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
#99 catleya:
SARU currently pay the unions for the use of their players in the S14.