UK Edition
Saracens splash cash with signing of Schalk Burger
Schalk Burger, the South Africa flanker, has agreed to join Saracens next season in a further demonstration of the newfound spending power among the Aviva Premiership’s leading clubs.
Burger has signed a two-year contract with the English champions who lost the back-row forward Ernst Joubert to retirement in November and will also be waving goodbye to Namibian tearaway Jacques Burger at the end of the season. During a World Cup that lurched from disaster against Japan to near triumph in their 20-18 semi‑final defeat against New Zealand, Burger was one of the Springboks’ outstanding players.
“I’m delighted to be joining Saracens,” Burger said. “I’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to play in both the Aviva Premiership and the European Cup, two of the leading competitions in world rugby for such a special club.
“It’s an exciting challenge for me and my family and hopefully I can add a lot of value both on and off the field to an already successful group of players and coaches. I’m looking forward to playing alongside my new team-mates and playing in front of all the Saracens fans and getting to know everyone at Allianz Park.”
Even though a move to Saracens has been on the cards since the World Cup, the capture of the 32‑year-old confirms that the Top 14 is no longer the automatic destination for blue-riband talent.
In October, the Premiership announced the salary cap would be raised from £5.5 million this season to £6.5 million in the 2016-17 season and £7 million the following year. Accounting for the two marquee players who are excluded from the cap along with home-grown player credits, compensation for missing England players and a fund to cover long-term injured players, some clubs will be able to spend upwards of £9 million.
That has led to a spate of eye-catching signings. Bath, who are interested in South Africa scrum half Fourie Du Preez, have recruited Wales pair Luke Charteris and Taulupe Faletau; Leicester have snapped up the Australia centre Matt Toomua; and, perhaps most strikingly of all, Northampton have persuaded Louis Picamoles, the France No 8, to leave Top 14 high-fliers Toulouse.
Worcester, who offered Manu Tuilagi a king’s ransom before the England centre settled for a princely sum to remain at Leicester, have also splashed out to recruit Ben Te’o, a former team-mate of Sam Burgess’s at South Sydney Rabbitohs, from Leinster.
However, not every club spends up to – and in certain cases nowhere near – the salary cap. There are fears that while the increased spending power will narrow the gap with French clubs, the Premiership will come to be divided between haves and have‑notes. Given that Leicester, Northampton and Saracens have qualified for the play-offs for the past six seasons, that divide is already partly established, but for a league that prides itself on its competitiveness the idea of an established hegemony, such as existed in the football Premier League between 2004 and 2015, will be deeply uncomfortable.
Saracens are unlikely to be overly perturbed, especially since they boast Europe’s only perfect record this season. The signing of Burger will only make them a more formidable proposition. His distinctive blond mop is never far from the heart of the action, although he told Telegraph Sport last year that he has had to adapt his role.
“Since I started playing in 2002‑03 the game has moved on a lot and you have to evolve with the game,” Burger said. “When you are younger, it was competitive and full of energy. That’s what I focused on. As you get older, you realise you can’t make every tackle yourself.”
Burger will join the club on completing his commitments to Suntory Sungoliath, the Japanese club, and Stormers, the South African province. “Schalk is a Springbok legend, and will add a huge amount of experience and quality to our young English pack of forwards at the club,” Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, said. “We have always talked about having the right blend of experience and youth in our squad, so to be able to add one of the world’s finest players to the group is extremely exciting news.”
Star struck: Big names joining the Premiership
Schalk Burger Saracens: Flanker is one of the true greats, with 86 caps and a world player of the year title.
Luke Charteris Bath: Wales’s 32-year-old grand-slam winning lock shone in Six Nations and World Cup.
Louis Picamoles Northampton: France No 8 is a powerhouse of a player, 29 years old, 51 caps
Matt Toomua Leicester: Australian playmaker is in his prime at 26. Has 31 caps.
Taulupe Faletau Bath: Wales No 8 was the subject of a long tug-of-war, which Bath finally won.
And one who still might..
Leigh Halfpenny Wasps: Decision from full-back is expected soon.