Roux Insists there is No Secret Springbok Training Camp

July 29 - Ahead of the Tri Nations test between the Springboks and the All Blacks in Wellington tomorrow night, the Chief Executive of the South African Rugby Union, Jurie Roux has hit back at claims that 21 top Springboks are being secretly trained in Rustenberg.

South Africa has come under fire for sending a particularly weak side to play in the Tri Nations, preferring to keep its best players for the World Cup event later this year.

Speculation this week reached an all time high, when it was reported that many of the 'injured' Springbok players who were not sent to play in the Tri Nations, were actually participating in a secret training camp.

Roux said in response: "I'm not denying they're in Rustenberg. I'm denying the fact there is a secret training camp. I've got my players being rehabilitated, that's it."

"I would like all those guys to be un-injured but they're injured and they're busy being rehabilitated. I'm not a doctor or a miracle worker."

Roux said that he could not understand why so many people from around the world would be focused on the injured players.  "I run a multi million rand corporation where my biggest assets are my players," he said. "They're injured so I need to do something to get them ready for the World Cup, and get them in an environment."

Springboks Make Four Changes

The starting team for the South African side in the Tri Nations test at Westpac Stadium tomorrow night contains 11 players with fewer than 10 caps.

According to coach Peter de Villiers, this team is the "best who can do the job."

De Villiers has noted that the Tri Nations in a World Cup year is a potential headache. "In an ideal world you wouldn't want these games to be played before the World Cup because they can be detrimental with the workload that's on the players already," he said.

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