Hopley fears the Springbok brawn drain

The last time Wales went to South Africa, in 1998, it was with an unrecognisable team following the wholesale withdrawal of injured or disaffected players. Next Saturday, in Bloemfontein, it will be the hosts who bear an unfamiliar look. There appear to be more Springboks on the way to the UK than staying at home to welcome the Welsh.

Percy Montgomery was the latest to sign this week, the 50-cap Springbok joining Newport soon after Thinus Delport had agreed a move to Gloucester, and 15-times South Africa captain Andre Vos switched to Harlequins. Montgomery is 28; Delport and Vos both 27. The Indian summer career move is happening earlier and earlier.

Clive Woodward's jousts with the Premier clubs over release dates for his England squad highlight the growing influx of what Damien Hopley, the chief executive of the Professional Rugby Players' Association, calls "value for money" imports.

"The concern is that directors of rugby seem to be saying that our international players don't provide the worth of an overseas player," said Hopley. "Not only is the messy structure of the season failing to resolve many commercial issues, it is discourag-ing clubs from having too many England players."

By way of illustration, the Australian centre Rod Kafer was ever-present in Leicester's double-winning campaign; the former All Black prop Craig Dowd hardly missed a match for Wasps after arriving from New Zealand. They do not face the same demands as England's players for squad weekends, autumn internationals and the Six Nations.

Hopley helped draw up last year's agreement between the Rugby Football Union and the Premier clubs which created England Rugby Ltd. The agreement provides that, within three years, Zurich Premiership match squads must include 17 English- qualified players among the 22. Only two players classed as "overseas" – essentially non-British passport holders – can be fielded.

"Ultimately we want to see English-qualified players in the Zurich Premiership," said Hopley. "I am concerned about the obstacle to young players coming through, but there should be a lot more English-qualified players thrown up by the Academy system.

"Our take on it is to look at the positive impact made by Michael Lynagh, Philippe Sella and Francois Pienaar at Saracens, or by Inga Tuigamala at Newcastle. The greater concern must be in South Africa."

The decision to pack the kitbag and pick up the passport is not taken lightly. In South Africa, as in Australia and New Zealand, it means giving up the right to play for your country. Yet the weakness of the South African rand against the pound makes the Springbok ranks ripe for plundering.

The prop Robbie Kempson and wing Pieter Rossouw have signed for Ulster and London Irish respectively within the last month. At the conclusion of the South African season last November, the hooker Charl Marais upped sticks to Sale, backs Braam van Straaten and Japie Mulder joined Leeds, and lock Johan Ackermann went to Northampton.

Montgomery's agent, Craig Livingstone, cited the quota system, which obliges provinces to pick a number of black players, as one of the reasons for his client's move. The player himself said his mind was made up five months ago when he was not offered a Springbok contract by the South African RFU.

"It's not that I didn't want to play for the Springboks any more, but I've got to think smart," he said. "I've got a wife and a six-year-old boy, and I'm basically moving for financial reasons."

Marais admits the lure of the pound is strong. "It was 12 to the pound last year," he said, "then at Christmas-time it was 19, now it's about 13. No one knows where it's going next. I always wanted to try playing overseas but, for sure, the movement of players is on the increase."

Occasionally, Sarfu will find the extra cash if necessary. They stumped up an improved deal to keep the scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen when he was said to be moving to Newport. London Irish announced the signing of Rassie Erasmus only for the back rower to change his mind.

South African critics might say that Montgomery has had his day, that Vos is injury-prone and Delport has a reputation as a loose cannon. But the exodus heaps further pressure on the Boks' new coach, Rudolf Straeuli, after the worst-ever showing by the Republic's representatives in the recent Super 12. Straeuli resurrected the national trials weekend after a 15-year gap, and the performance of Andre Pretorius is likely to win the young fly-half his first cap against Wales. "There is talent in this country, we just need to roll up our sleeves and find them," Straeuli said.

Coincidentally, 1998 was also the year of the Boks' last Tri-Nations title. Their captain, Gary Teichmann, went on to be a hugely popular import at Newport. Marais predicts the lean times will continue. "They're losing the core of the Springbok squad," he said. "At that level, you can't buy experience."

Unless, of course, you're a club in England or Wales.