No Stormers job for Sonny Bill
It is bad news for his legions of Cape Town fans, but Sonny Bill Williams is not going to join the Stormers anytime soon.
Reports in the local media on Thursday suggested that the World Cup-winning All Black midfielder, Williams, wants to make Cape Town his home and is ready to discuss a possible contract with the Stormers.
However, Rob Wagner, the MD of WP Rugby (Pty) Ltd, poured cold water on the speculation.
“We are not currently in any negotiations with Sonny Bill Williams or his agent,” Wagner told this website.
The reports were based on the fact that Williams’ agent, Khoder Nasser, is currently in Cape Town.
He is investigating sporting opportunities for his client – mainly boxing.
However, the master spin doctor, Nasser, allowed the media mill to go into overdrive by suggesting that a contract with the Stormers was not excluded.
Williams, who currently plays for the Chiefs in the Super Rugby competition, has a contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union that expires at the end of the year.
The 26-year-old Williams has been linked to a fight with South African Francois Botha, a match reportedly scheduled to take place in Cape Town.
Botha, nicknamed the White Buffalo, had a victory in 1995 against Germany’s Axel Schulz to win the IBF heavyweight title, but later tested positive for the steroid nandrolone – he and his camp at the time claimed it was prescribed by a doctor for an arm injury.
The result of the fight was then changed to a ‘No Contest’ and the IBF do not recognize Botha as former champion, although Botha was introduced as a former champ in every single professional boxing contest he has engaged in since.
He would no doubt be the best and first genuine fighter Williams would step into the ring with if the match was to be realised.
Nasser, who had a meeting with the Western Cape Minister of Sport Ivan Meyer on Thursday, reportedly said that it was up to the Stormers whether they wanted to offer Williams a contract.
However, the Stormers – in no uncertain terms – gave him a big: ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’
Williams, who has an enormous following in Cape Town, including some media groupies, is also scheduled to play in an invitational Sevens tournament in George in December.
Williams and Wallaby Quade Cooper, another high-profile player on Nasser’s books, are among a host of international stars lined up for the event on December 14 and 15.
The five South African Super Rugby franchises will each enter a team, while 11 other sides will be sold to companies, who will then ‘invite’ players like Williams and Cooper to play for them.
By Jan de Koning
