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Cape Town - Jan Serfontein's decision to leave South Africa for opportunities abroad may seem like another major blow to South African rugby, but he could still be available for Springbok selection throughout his overseas stint.
SA Rugby's new overseas-based player policy kicks in from July 1, and it states that only players who have 30 or more Springbok caps will be eligible for selection until 2019.
In that year, when the World Cup will be hosted in Japan, everybody will be available for Bok selection, regardless of how many Test caps they have.
The 24-year-old Serfontein currently has 26 Test caps to his name - a number that would certainly be higher had he not been so injury-prone over the years.
Still a highly-rated midfielder, Serfontein appears to finally be fit and he has put in some impressive performances for the struggling Bulls this season.
If Serfontein played four Test matches in 2017, he would be available for Bok selection throughout the 2018 season as well.
His chances don't look too bad at the moment either, given that Bok coach Allister Coetzee has lost Lions inside centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg for the rest of the season while Stormers No 12 Damian de Allende is still on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
The Boks play three Tests against France in June.
The Bulls, meanwhile, are in action on Saturday when they host the Cheetahs at Loftus.
