I really don't think there is a link between what is going on with the unions, the centralised contracts system we want to implement and these kids going abroad.
For me these are different issues each with their own group of pro's and con's. They all just fall under the umbrella of SA Rugby.
These kids and their parents had a plan, and that plan didn't just happen at Craven Week when the scouts were there. No, they had a plan long before that, and my guess is that plan had a few back-up plans as well, such as should the boy not get a call from one of the SR teams to play for their academy or whatever, that the kid should look at options abroad, and maybe they even had discussions with clubs abroad long ago.
I feel the same way as
@TRF_stormer2010 in that if they come back, great! If they don't, so be it.
We have more than enough depth without these 22 kids. And they still need to prove themselves professionally.
The thing is, that SARU's plan is to make the depth pool, stronger, and not necessarily bigger. But with that said they are also trying to make a bridge between the professional players and the amateurs, and look at ways to have amateurs become professional while not dropping in quality.
We shouldn't fault SARU's plan, as they need to make SA Rugby financially stronger than what it is now, in order to make our brand stronger and the players better. And in doing so, limit the amount of professional players which makes the financial burden less on SARU as well as the unions.
And a lot of that is with the youth squads and academies.
