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Johannesburg - Springbok halfback Jano Vermaak will be out for three to four weeks with his hamstring strain, it was revealed on Monday.
According to the supersport.com website, Bulls doctor Org Strauss told supersport.com that Vermaak had a grade one hamstring strain, and this would keep him out for almost a month, ruling him out of any further games in the Castle Lager Incoming Series and possibly even one or two Vodacom Super Rugby games.
But the injury couldn’t come at a worse time for Vermaak, who also has to make his mind up about overseas offers and his future in the next few days.
He has a big-money offer from French club Toulouse and with the French club transfer window closing at the end of this week, he will have to make a decision shortly.
It is a classic double entendre for Vermaak, who was offered a contract salary reduction by the Bulls to renew his contract there and then received the big money offer from France.
But the halfback wants to stay in South Africa and play for the Springboks even though he has no guarantee he will be in Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s plans.
However, by being picked against Italy, it was an indication that Meyer sees him as the form scrumhalf in the country at the moment and if he chooses to go overseas, Vermaak may find he loses that advantage and falls back in the queue for Bok selection.
Against that he has to weigh up a lesser offer from the Bulls to stay, and it wouldn’t be a surprise then that if he decides to stay in South Africa and fight for a Bok place, he may not necessarily sign again at the Bulls.
There was no doubt that Vermaak was unhappy at being offered “half his current salary” to renew at the Bulls, and while the Bulls have upped that offer since, it has opened the door to other South African franchises to have a crack at securing his services as from next season.
All this in the same week his Bok dream was dashed by injury.
Meanwhile the Bulls may have to fly a representative to France if they are to have the services of Juandre Kruger for the rest of the Super Rugby season.
Kruger’s contract begins in France as of 1 July and this oversight on the Bulls part could become a costly one as Racing Metro are currently refusing to budge on his starting date.
While nothing has been officially said, it would only be natural for Racing to want compensation from the Bulls for Kruger to play the remainder of Super Rugby, but it could well be that unless the parties come to an agreement that Kruger may have to head to France as his teammates prepare for their final games in this year’s Super Rugby season.
