hmmmm.... now why didn't they just give the franchise to a South African Team if they gonna try poach all our players.

Bloody good point Greenblud, but I don't think they just have SA players on the list.

They will, mostly. He will not go though. His dad also played for WP and his passion lies there.

Leave him alone!

No wonder Australia was pushing so hard for that 15th Super Rugby spot despite not having the players...

When I found out they were going to be allowed more International players than other Aussie franchises, I already started thinking that the Kings or "neutral" should have gotten it. (more SA players would come back home from abroad to play for RWC 2011 places)
This (if true) is taking it way too far though! Using their 5th Super franchise with the intention to snatch up promising players from other countries who haven't yet been given a chance to fully establish themselves yet (in their HOME countries) in order to potentially bulk up the Aussie selection pool... Pathetic!

What's wrong with players from the Academy!? (like what Force did) Why not focus more on bringing overseas based Aussies home ahead of the RWC!? Isn't poaching Islanders, recruiting NRL thugs, the Saffas and other foreigners they already have (who could or have already qualify for Aussie citizenship)playing Super Rugby enough?! Greedy Bastards!

Rejecting their own has-beens (who apply to join) in favour of SA's young talent... Disgusting!!

Its not a secret that the Aussies won the tender purely on financial reasons. SANZAR Admitted that for the sake of rugby it would have been beter if the Kings would have gotten the gig.

But they didnt, i dont think that the ARU can offer our players alot more in monatary terms.

Also, it could be better for the Sharks if the Du Plessis brothers take the offer. Thats my humble opinion

Why not just keep it the S14 if you don't have the talent to field your another team. This is so stupid.

Snor - give Vermeulen a cap this year. Come on - he deserves it! Way to many games for the Bokke this year ahead of the WC next year. Make sure he stays in SA. I won't be able to handle it if he plays for Aus!

duane vermuelen is an awesome talent and a machine in our team. i was so chuffed when we signed him and you should have seen how balistic i went when he scored last weekend! PLEASE PLEASE don't let him leave the cape? we may have cover for him but we won't be able to replace him! he has the potential to be Kanko and Spies wrapped in one! that was very evident at the cheetahs but we use him to our strengths just fine. CAP HIM SNOR AND UNLEASH A BEAST!

lash - i am with you 100 % He is my captain in my fantasy league. I will go crazy if he go and play for the aussies!

(oh dear - i think i have a thing for nr. 8's )

GET YOUR OWN DAMM PLAYERS WOBBLIES

Tiaan Straus,Clyde Rathbone and now Duane Vermeulen.....what next?? The Wannebees must be the worse player thieves than any other.But I guess there is more to it than what meets the eye.

seb , also Dan Vickerman

Melbourne should have got a team ahead of Perth way back when. The Force are proving to us all now why they should never have got a team. Nobody wants to play for them and their junior rugby infrastructure is going to take years to produce. Melbourne on the other hand already is producing good players, why should they not have a team? And why should SA get a 6th team when at least two of their teams every year are the whipping boys of super 14? Why not give it to NZ? They've definitely got the players for another team. SA most certainly do not. And what's wrong with a bit of sharing within countries of the Tri Nations? I'd much rather that than than see players head north. If Vermuelen is going to be a bok, I'm sure Piet will do something about it.

Taking the current state of South Africa maybe he goes - its only rugby right? It comes down to listening to your heart or head I guess...

calm down everyone, they are only interested..no offer has been made.

I'm interested in Minki vd Westhuizen, i make her all the offers i want...

* i can make her all the offers i want...

Vermualen will be an absolute bargain, bismark will be worth his weight but will the money jannie be asking for worth it ?coming from an aussie we've got the worst rank team wich has proven we just don't have the proffesional depth, so why we lowing the ranks by another 20 or so not includign the foreigners. It's not very hard for another 20 or so people to become "proffesional" and spend their summer in the gym but it does'nt mean they'll be any good.

RB, maybe you should try. You'll never know!

I'm glad Vermeulen started to show signs of his old self. Since he left the Cheetahs he became very silent.

Well, it seems they're targetting a number of players. Seemingly mostly forwards from Free State, Sharks and Stormers. If the Kings administration had ANY sense they'd work with the Rebels to give their players a taste of S15 for a year.

(Let's face it, SARU won't allow the Sharks or the Lions to be dropped)

Shame manne - are you all upset that we are poaching? Get used to seeing a lot more Saffers moving over here. Not only can we pay well but the players get to live in the luckiest country in the world! No crap about worrying about BEE, Julius / Zuma, crime, Escom, etc etc - just getting paid to play rugby and enjoy life in a great city & country. What a bargain! South Africa only has itself to blame if players leave for greener pastures.

Crusader did you ever went to school?

damn!!! vermeulen will be a huge loss to my stormers team. workhorse and power. will never let any team down and that includes the bokke.

but unfortunately piet helium has his favourites, and he made that very clear on superrugby. vermeulen is world class and if our naive and stubbourne springbok coaching staff wont pick him for the boks then its only right that vermeulen go to aus to try and get in to a international team.

he deserves it.

thats what you get for picking johnson over vermeulen in the end of year tour.

stormers will survive without vermeulen however it will be very hard.

Given the state of Sharks rugby currently, it'd be great if the du Plessis brothers can ship out to Melbourne.

Vermeulen would be the perfect No. 19 for the summer. Covers 7 and 8 and always brings a vertain intensity. Unfortunatley for him there are Stegman and Potgieter. But I would see these three and Broussow if fit again as our loosie future, so please snor, don't butcher the whole thing.

Ou Snor should show the Aussies a big ┌∩┐(-_-)┌∩┐ and intentionally give Vermeulen a cap in that game against Wales on the EOYT.

LMAO Jack

crazysharkman - yeah i am and an Australian one to , somehow got into Science and med/surgey.

no matter how bad the aussies are they will never be worse than the english!

no matter how bad aussies are, we're still going to be full of south africans.