Release loyal servant Britz

The trouble with being a willing horse, of course, is that it's always given the most work. As this infers, the willing horse is often also the least appreciated. "Don't worry about that," say the management big shots, "old So-and-So will do it."

This, it strikes me, is what Warren Britz has been to rugby in KwaZulu-Natal and, to a lesser degree, South African rugby - a most willing horse.

The period November 7 to December 2 turned out to be a crucial three-and-a-half weeks in the dark-haired flanker's rugby life. It was in that period, as he told the Independent on Saturday last week, that he began to wonder where his rugby career was going.

November 7 was two days before the Springboks played France in Marseille. It was then that Britz was phoned by Bok coach Rudolf Straeuli because he'd heard the flanker was going overseas. "Hang fire," he was told, "you'll be getting a call on Monday." Monday came and went, but there was no call.

Three weeks later, on November 29, Britz met Straeuli, but no offer was forthcoming. "I told the coach that if an offer came from Newcastle Falcons (the club with which he'd been negotiating in the UK) I would sign." In fact, that very day a contract arrived from Newcastle.

But still Britz loyally delayed his decision. On Monday, December 2, he met with Sharks CEO Brian van Zyl and made a last-ditch effort to sort things out. His terms and conditions were faxed to Straeuli and he left a message on the coach's voicemail.

He has still had no reply.

This week Britz, quite innocently one feels, has found himself in the midst of an ugly tug of war.

The Natal Rugby Union have informed him, as is their right, that he has a legal and binding contract with them until the end of next year, and that they don't intend to let him break it.

This is understandable. Workhorse Britz is a most valuable cog in the Sharks and Natal Currie Cup set-up.

I'm sure that when the local coaching supremo, Kevin Putt, got wind of the news that Britz intended to leave, he put his foot down. "No way," were probably his only words as he banged his fist on Van Zyl's desktop. What is strange is that when Van Zyl met Britz (on December 2, remember?) and a last-ditch fax was sent to Straeuli, the NRU CEO raised no objections.

Why didn't he tell Britz there and then that the Sharks would not release him to go overseas and play for the Newcastle club?

Why was it necessary for the NRU to wait several more days - until this week - before dashing his hopes?

In announcing last Saturday he was leaving to play his rugby in the UK, Britz understandably had a few things to say about his treatment. He said the final straw had been Straeuli's "apathetic approach", and he detailed his treatment by the Springbok coach - a scenario that doesn't say much for the upper tiers of South African rugby management.

As a Johannesburg daily newspaper pointed out in midweek, "...also know that with everything Britz was purported to have said about rugby in South Africa and Rudolf Straeuli, it is unlikely his Test caps will be increased."

I'd say you could probably bet your house on it.

It is for this reason, I believe, the NRU should reward such an outstandingly loyal servant, not to mention willing horse, and release him.

As Britz said last week: "I'm a born and bred Natalian and, to be honest, I will be leaving with a heavy heart because the Sharks are the best union to play for in the world."

That comes from the heart. Whether or not he is good enough to make the Springbok World Cup squad may be an issue for debate. But it seems certain now that in telling the story of his misfortune as he saw it, he has damned any chance he may have had of making that squad.

So why not do the right thing by this loyal workhorse?

Let him go.