Springbok captain Strauss to retire this year

The Bulls and Springbok hooker became South Africa’s 57^th Springbok captain under new coach Allister Coetzee earlier this year, as the Boks entered a rebuilding phase after the 2015 World Cup.

Strauss’ performances have been placed under the microscope, as the Springboks haven’t quite hit fifth gear in their five Tests so far this year. The Boks struggled against Ireland in their tour of South Africa in June and suffered their second loss to Argentina in the space of the year last weekend.

However, news from the Springbok camp is that Strauss was contemplating hanging up his boots after the World Cup and made that clear to Coetzee when he was appointed captain earlier this year.

“When Coach Allister approached me to lead the team, I was both humbled and honoured,” Strauss told SARU.

 

“The plan was for me to serve and lead a team in transition as well as I can and take things week by week, but back then I already told him that I was thinking of retiring at the end of the season.

 

“I’ve always accepted the pressure and the challenge of playing for and captaining the Springboks, I feel it’s the right time to let my team-mates and our supporters know of the decision I made, with a greater plan in mind.”

 

It seems that Strauss' mandate as skipper was heavily weighted with the responsibility of instilling the Springbok culture to a young, new crop of national players.

“I knew my role was going to extend beyond what happens on the field on a Saturday and that we were starting a building process of something special with a new group of players, many of whom will become Springbok greats,” he said.

 

“This is a young team and I’ve been honoured to work with a very talented group of players and leaders in establishing a new team culture. I believe the time is right to start giving more opportunities to this new generation and I’m happy to be used in any way the coach sees fit.

 

“It has never been about me. My point of view was always to do what is best for the team and I believe I’ve succeeded in making a contribution to the Springboks and South African rugby, which were two major reasons for me to retire.

 

“Every older player has this voice in the back of his head that he’d like to retire on his own terms, and I believe that is what I am doing.

 

“I’m very grateful for my Springbok career and to all coaches and team-mates who have played a role in my development as a player and as a human being. The last few months have been especially enjoyable, as well as massively challenging. My decision make it official is so that the coach and his management staff will have sufficient time to do their succession planning.

 

“The Springboks are lucky to have a massively passionate base of supporters, who are very critical of many aspects of the game. I would like to urge them to keep the faith and remain positive, because we’re on an exciting journey and this team will keep on working as hard as possible to make our supporters proud.”

Strauss’s retirement will open the door for a number of upcoming hookers to stake their claim on the number 2 jumper.

 

Bongi Mbonambi has been Strauss’s understudy this year, but there have been widespread calls for Lions hooker Malcolm Marx to get a crack at national level.

 

Whoever gets that chance has a big hole to fill, as the Boks are desperately in need of a player in the mould of Bismarck du Plessis, who was easily the World’s best while he was in the Springbok mix.

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