Botha’s contractual bungle set to explode
1 Apr 2008
Bakkies Botha’s transfer saga continues to get more twisted, with both the Bulls and Toulon laying claim to him.
Botha is one of a number of elite players targeted by the French second division club, who already own Botha’s Springbok lock partner Victor Matfield, legendary Australia scrumhalf George Gregan, All Blacks Anton Oliver and Andrew Mehrtens, while All Blacks great Tana Umaga coaches the galaxy of stars.
When keo.co.za spoke to millionaire Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal on a recent visit to the club, he explained that Botha had signed a pre-contract with them, and would join on 1 April. He said the document indicated Botha’s intent to sign an official contract but explained that Botha was now legally obligated to join the club.
The Bulls, however, refused to release the player, despite his request, citing the fact that he was bound to the franchise by a four year contract he signed in late 2007.
This website has learned that Boudjellal last week showed the Toulon media the contract with Botha’s signature on the dotted line. Boudjellal insisted that they would secure Botha’s services irrespective of the Bulls’ assertions to the contrary.
If Botha failed to arrive on the specified date, Boudjellal said the club would proceed with legal action against the player. As it stands Botha is with the Bulls in Perth preparing for their Super 14 match against the Force. Unless the lock has developed a supernatural ability to teleport himself across the world, he is unlikely to show up for work in the south of France.
Toulon claim they have sent a copy of the signed contract to the South African Rugby Union [Saru]. However, Saru general manager of policy and regulations, Christo Ferreira, insists he has not received anything of the sort – but explained that manager of national teams Andy Marinos may be in possession of the document. Marinos asked to be contacted later on Tuesday, but would neither confirm or deny having received the contract.
“If the two parties are looking for mediation on the matter, the IRB usually deals with that. But Saru may intervene if they are requested to [by the IRB] although that hasn’t been the case to date,” Ferreira told keo.co.za.
Botha’s agent, Bernie Habana, failed to respond to questions around where the process stood, while Bulls CEO Barend van Graan was vehemently opposed to discussing the matter. “Please don’t ask me about Bakkies. I’m not talking about that. No comment,” Van Graan barked.
As it stands both the Bulls and Toulon have a contract with Botha, and Toulon will feel they have a watertight case should they opt to take legal action. The Bulls won’t relent on their position that the player has committed to them for the next four years, so the battle could get even messier in the coming weeks.
How Botha got himself into this situation is perplexing. He has no escape clause in his Bulls contract. In fact, he requested a long-term contract from the Bulls so that he would have financial security. Yet he, or his agent acting on his behalf, felt it appropriate to sign a legally bonding document with Toulon and he now finds himself in the middle of a brutal battle.
By Ryan Vrede
441 Comments
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1 Apr 2008, 12:34 pm
ja gbs, ek kry dieselfde nuus. dis wat my so pla op so ‘n mooi dag!
1 Apr 2008, 12:35 pm
#148 “Yes Whatdafuk”
wow subtle Cane.
maybe you should come up Auckland and we have that beer eh?
1 Apr 2008, 12:36 pm
greatest
i think they will push him out without our lame duck presidents help. he better go now or there will be blood spilt, i see it all clearly.
1 Apr 2008, 12:36 pm
Pietman
That can not be right as Sky tv crew is blocked from Zim, they are all waiting at Beitbridge
1 Apr 2008, 12:37 pm
G13G ek is in, daardie opleiding in Oudsthoorn moet vir iets tel!!
1 Apr 2008, 12:38 pm
sheesh, there are people more angry than me today lol!
on the bright side, we got chavanga, beast and mujati from that afflicted land.
1 Apr 2008, 12:39 pm
ranger
Yes and 3 million illegal immigrants
1 Apr 2008, 12:40 pm
GBS/Ranger
This is from the Canadian news, reporting to CNN.
Just before that, I heard the same report as you about the 109 results.
So hopefully they have updated that correctly through their Canadian colleagues, who strangely enough, are in Harare..
(Agreed ranger, the populace must just swamp them on the streets, 1 million against 35,000 soldiers, no contest.)
1 Apr 2008, 12:44 pm
jl1
we could use some of those immigrants iof our government was a bit more proactive. hundreds of zim doctors unemployed and we bring in tunisians and cubans whilst they work as car guards. make them work in rural clinics as a prerequisite for citizenship! thousands of lives could be saved!
piet
the zim army is rotten with hiv and aids by all accounts so they probably cant even field 35000. they will probably lay down their arms anyway if the people show they wont take it any more. their families are probably suffering too.
1 Apr 2008, 12:44 pm
I think Mugabe is a blogger @ KEO. Probably a Bulls Supporter.
Maybe………………..Robert Mugabe (Robbertse)?
You never know!!
1 Apr 2008, 12:45 pm
#120 Dish it out boet, but then take it as well!! Doos
Comment by whatever
You dish up your usual shi!t every chance you get Sunshine.
And you know it. Mine is just a bit of retaliation……..that you deserve.
You are a migrant to NZ and you malign other newcomers every chance you get.
What am I suppose to think?
1 Apr 2008, 12:45 pm
lol snoek!
1 Apr 2008, 12:45 pm
JL1
Don’t know how they got the info bru, but this was about 10 minutes ago.
This other Mad Dog in N-K has also started his nonsense again, threatening to kill the newly appointed S-K president because he is Bush ally…
We had all sorts of ‘radar blocks’ today, even Internet was wobbly for a while, that is why I had the PC doc in. He then explained that was because of the ‘scanning’ at our military base, just up the road from my office.
1 Apr 2008, 12:45 pm
#160 SE MOER!!!!!!!
1 Apr 2008, 12:46 pm
No doubt Mugabe must go and should have gone years ago. Looks like he might not have a choice now. The generals will try a coup, this being the case, they know which side their bread is buttered.
What concerns me is if all goes to plan and Tsvengurai gets into power….the man heads up the main trade union, in this part of Africa this is tantamount to putting the communists in charge. I am afraid I do not see a solution for a long time to come yet.
1 Apr 2008, 12:48 pm
morgan aint no commie 4man. he is also not the charismatic leader that zim has needed but he is the best they have.
1 Apr 2008, 12:49 pm
Fokkit Snoek jy het my nou terug gesit jou bliksem!!!!
1 Apr 2008, 12:49 pm
Sorry Kwagga Mugabe……
It was just a Theory, not a fact!!
1 Apr 2008, 12:49 pm
KWAGGA is it true!!!! I cant believe it, you are Bob in disguise…jis…slaan my dood.
1 Apr 2008, 12:49 pm
4man
But how come a renowned sniper like you don’t accept R10m and take the dog out with a 50cl interdiction long range?
You can do it, I know!
1 Apr 2008, 12:49 pm
Kwagga of sal ek sê Bob……… hehehe
Pieta, ek sien op TV sommige van Bob Mugabe se persoonlike lyfwagte is solid wit ouens….. seker huursoldate… van die bestes in die wêreld
Ou Bob is noggie klaar nie, hy gaan nog GROOOOOT akkies maak met sy Weermag en Poelieste….. watch.
1 Apr 2008, 12:50 pm
africa is turning. you can see it wherever you look. malawi, zambia, mozam, namibia are all on the up. bots is as stable as ever. zim will turn, i just fear we may have to go through our own cycle here is sa. no better learning curve than the hard way though is there?
1 Apr 2008, 12:50 pm
#166 Ranger
I hear you….I am not so sure about his politics. Do you know the man?
1 Apr 2008, 12:50 pm
171# GBS
Mossad?
1 Apr 2008, 12:51 pm
Zuma better pay attention to whats going happen to his mate Bob
1 Apr 2008, 12:51 pm
Pietman
There are 4 mad dogs
The Korean chap, the Robert Mugabe mess, Putin and then last but not least Amejhihad (spelling) from Iran. They reckon he has killed 1000 people personally
1 Apr 2008, 12:52 pm
#170 Pietman
C squadron 22 SAS missed him in 1978. We were told not to interfere.
1 Apr 2008, 12:53 pm
Ryan Vrede you fecking tool.
There is a world of difference between signing a Letter of Intent and signing an employemnt contract.
How do they allow you to write such drivel when you clearly have no clue?
A letter of intent is simply not a binding agreement as you can at any time claim a change of intent. A letter of intent is useless in this instance.
Reporting on sensationalist article is one thing but this is blatant nonsense.
I really hope this is an April Fools joke because the alternative is some very poor reporting.
1 Apr 2008, 12:54 pm
#170 Pietman
I would consider it for £10 m though
1 Apr 2008, 12:54 pm
#143 Not you Kwagga, Cane!
#161 Cane, do you want a box of tissues dude?
Retaliation for what? Quite frankly I’m not too concerned what you think….sniff
1 Apr 2008, 12:55 pm
Gonna have lunch and a smoke.
Bob signing off………
PS: Snoek…..slaap met een oog oop!!! HEHEHEHEHEHE
1 Apr 2008, 12:55 pm
Kwagbob……..he he he!!
1 Apr 2008, 12:55 pm
grootblousmile
Thanks for the info about the Suspensive Condition in Bakkies Toulon contract.
If it is indeed there and conditional upon Bulls release then you are correct – Nothing to worry about.
It is also not a worthy news article then
1 Apr 2008, 12:55 pm
#177
WTF?
1 Apr 2008, 12:57 pm
nah 4man, i dont know him personally but have mates who have met him. he aint no madiba, thats for sure. he doesnt have the charisma. but he is a dedicated man who hasnt taken the soft route. he still lives a simple life and is respected internationally. there is so much investment awaiting bobs demise and recovery plans are already in place.
funny, a guy i worked with was from zim. they had the largest banana farm in africa and were kicked out. the trees were burnt to make way for maize and the irrigation pipes all sold for scrap. then 6 months later, the zim guv begged them to take the land back.
Their answer: *** off! they have now been granted 20,000 hectares in zambia. gratis!
1 Apr 2008, 12:59 pm
#184 Greatest.
Read Pieta’s comment.
Anyway Rhodesia/Zimbabwe have let us have a lot of good rugby players over the years. The “Beast” is current, so is “Ngwenya” the ou who ran around Bryan Habana while playing for the USA, Ray Mordt, Adrian Garvie come to mind quickly, both Springboks. Lets hope the country can start playing some serious rugby again soon.
1 Apr 2008, 12:59 pm
strue greatest, sas were on standby to take bob out but the poms wouldnt allow it. the order just never came through. still a bit of a mystery why as i understand it.
1 Apr 2008, 12:59 pm
Pietman
There are 4 mad dogs
Comment by JL1
Wrong Jl1 there are 5 mad dogs:
-Kim Il Song (N.Korea) (spelling).
-Mugabe.
-The Brothers Castro.
-George W.
-Bakkies Botha.
1 Apr 2008, 12:59 pm
#172 Ranger that sure is positive for the rest of Southern Africa….not a good “short” term outlook for SA though!
1 Apr 2008, 13:00 pm
lol cane, you are enjoying yourself today i see.
1 Apr 2008, 13:01 pm
Zuma beware!
1 Apr 2008, 13:02 pm
#185 Ranger
A lot of the farmers have taken the Zambia route and also Mocambique, they get funding assistance aswell, the government just wants them to bring their expertise, its unreal…politicians are really the vilest thing on the planet when they are crooked. What are your friends doing in Zambia, bananas again?
I hear the logistic costs on transport to the coast for export are a bit daunting?
1 Apr 2008, 13:02 pm
185
it is a shame that someone who once fought for his people’s freedom has now become worse than the oppressor he once fought!
1 Apr 2008, 13:03 pm
Biscuit,
Not having seen the actual pre-agreement with my own eyes but getting the facts from a source very, very close to old Bakkies, Habana, Meisiekind & Bernie….. I take the existence of the Suspensive Condition as serious and indeed being there….
It was also reported in the past Weekend media that the pre-agreement indeed contain a Suspensive Condition…
So I really think Bakkies is OK….. Mourad Boudjellal is a loud-mouth rich prat who over-estimates his sphere of influence.
1 Apr 2008, 13:03 pm
SA is going the same way with their Kak land reform policies, my dad has a farm, and it has a land claim on it. Unsure times for the poor farmers!! It’s all eskoms fault!!
1 Apr 2008, 13:06 pm
Cane, Bakkies has obviously has made a huge impression on you. Is it his power, strength, athletic ability or the fact that your boys all **** in their pants when he runs onto the park that impresses you? All of the above perhaps?
1 Apr 2008, 13:08 pm
cane
I am not biting dude or are you ***?
1 Apr 2008, 13:08 pm
Dagse GBS
Ja…I hope old Bakkies is ok, I think Vic will see his year out and then come back to play for Bulls next year…he is missing home big time.
1 Apr 2008, 13:09 pm
4man
they are doing hunting in zambia. real bush country and no communities for miles. dry place though. couple of zim families in nigeria farming, nigerian guv set them up. they are all homesick though and say they will head back to zim asap. maybe by tomorrow they can.
1 Apr 2008, 13:11 pm
#161 Cane, do you want a box of tissues dude?
Comment by whatdafuk.
Whatdafuk……………tissues you cretin…..I only use cotton handkerchiefs……..they are recyclable………take your your carbon footprint home with you when you leave.
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