Rugby
WP to fight for Jean
2009-05-01 12:22
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Jean de Villiers (Gallo Images)
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Stephen Nell - Die Burger
Cape Town. – Western Province are set to have a fight on their hands to hold on to captain Jean de Villiers for next season.
De Villiers’s contract expires at the end of the season and he told Sport24 he will think about his future after South Africa’s Test series against the British and Irish Lions.
Until then, South Africa’s player of the year in 2008 is keeping his options open.
He is currently being linked very strongly with Irish side Munster. It is also believed a French club was willing to part with R5.6m a year to secure De Villiers’s services.
“My contract expires at the end of the year. I have always had an open mind about playing overseas at some stage. I will do that at some point in the future,” said De Villiers.
“At this stage my focus is to recover from my groin injury and to be ready for the series against the Lions. I will make a decision about my future after that.”
South Africa is facing a significant exodus of players after this season.
The Lions series is an important milestone for a number of players, while 2010 may offer an opportunity to briefly play overseas before returning ahead of the World Cup in 2011.