LEAGUE FOOTBALL ENGLISH OFFERS TO SPRINGBOKS

Grey River Argus, 24 March 1949, Page 6

LEAGUE FOOTBALL ENGLISH OFFERS TO SPRINGBOKS

English professional Rugby League clubs are trying to recruit players from South Africa—this, with the All Blacks due to tour the Union next season —and Bradford Northern are seeking agents who will be empoweied to offer a “reasonable signing-on fee” up to £lOOO, out-and-home passage money by air or sea, and an average wage of £7 a match for a 40match season. . . In addition, any South African star who turns professional will be guaranteed work at £6 a week and given a four-vear contract. There are also bonuses' for Cup and county championship matches. Mr Harry Hornby, chairman and managing director of the club, mentions players his club has in mind. “We understand there is a full-back called ‘Jakkals Keevy,’ ” he says in a letter to a Johannesburg Rugby expert whom he contacted. “This is one of the positions we want to strengthen. We could also do with a strong centre, wing man, stand-off hall', or back-row forward.” Other names he mentions are those of Eddie Collins, of Springs, and “Tambockie” Rivers and Piet van Rooyen, of Diggers. The last Transvaals Rugby player to turn professional was J. S. (“Pansie”) Pansegrouw, of Crown Mines. Pansegrouw, a former Border and Transvaal lock forward, joined the Leeds club at the end of the South African 1947 season. He was paid a signing-on fee of £4OO and his contract stipulated a payment of £8 for a win, £6 for a draw, and £5 for a match lost. Bradford Northerns finished fourth in the Rugby League last season and were runners-up to Wigan in the final of the League Knock-out Cup, played at Wembley last season. The club, one of the wealthiest and strongest in the north of England, plays at Odsal Stadium, which can accommodate more than 100,000 spectators.