Roosters nab South African code jumper

[pieter blackie]

The Sydney Roosters have become the first NRL club to sign a South African junior rugby player, with 18-year-old JP du Plessis inking a three-year deal.

The 183-centimetre centre will join the Bondi-based club from next season.

Roosters recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan snared him on a recent trip to South Africa.

"JP is a quick and beautifully balanced player and will be a real asset to the club," he said in a statement.

"He is considered a rising star of South African rugby so while he will take 12 months to learn rugby league, he has the potential to be a key player for the Roosters."

The club says it hopes to announce the signing of another South African young rugby convert shortly.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...?section=sport

[Burgs]

More a sign of the lack of opportunity in Rugby within South Africa rather than any great appeal to play League I believe.
It's a little suprising that Scouts for both codes in Australia aren't permanent fixtures at Craven Week these days already.

League eyes SA schoolboy talent

2009-06-26 10:49:00

Australian National Rugby League club Sydney Roosters has signed South African teenager JP du Plessis on a three-year contract, while they are also heading to the Craven Week (SA's premier schoolboy tournament) in search of promising youngsters.

The Roosters said they had also made an offer to another South African teenager to join 18-year-old centre du Plessis at the club next season.

"JP is a quick and beautifully balanced player and will be a real asset to the club," Roosters recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan told The Daily Telegraph.

"He is considered a rising star of South African rugby so while he will take 12 months to learn rugby league, he has the potential to be a key player for the Roosters."

O'Sullivan said he planned to attend South Africa's elite schoolboy competition, Craven Week, in July to check on other potential signings.

Melbourne Storm's Frank Ponnissi, a former consultant to the Springboks, is also considering whether to scour South African rugby for player talent.

"The talent is there, there's no doubt about that," Ponnissi said. "I know there is an abundance of talent, but I'm yet to be convinced how easy it will be to get players here."

SAPA

[sandgroperrugby]

Good let the Mungos bring them across and then when they are Aussie citizens they can switch back to real rugby and play for our provinces. Mmmhaahhhaaa

Is this a JO'N evil plan, because if it is kudos to him!!

The start of the Super 15 team in Melbourne perhaps?????

[shasta]

Good let the Mungos bring them across and then when they are Aussie citizens they can switch back to real rugby and play for our provinces.

This is nothing new. Western Reds recruited a struggling young ZA player named Warren Brosnihan in 1995. After a couple of ordinary first grade matches he was consigned to the resies for the duration. Armed with what he learned here in Perth he returned to ZA, played a bit of Rugby and was a little more successful second time around.

[JediKnight]

One goes the other way.

[zimeric]

Zim has three teams that regularly make the trip down for craven week.. will be interesting to see if any of those kids get an opportunity.