No clarity on Catrakilis' future

Editor

Despite shining for the Kings in Super Rugby, fly-half Demetri Catrakilis is uncertain who he will play for in the Currie Cup in 2013.

Despite being one of the Kings' best players in Super Rugby in 2013, fly-half Demetri Catrakilis is uncertain who he will play for in the Currie Cup this year.

Catrakilis played a pivotal role in helping Western Province break an 11-year long drought in the competition with a match-winning display in last year's final against the Sharks in Durban.

He is expected to be at the forefront of the Kings' challenge in the upcoming promotion/relegation fixtures against the Lions which starts in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

Catrakilis' future after that will depend on whether the Kings retain their Super Rugby status.

If they do, he will play elsewhere during the Currie Cup season and then return to Port Elizabeth in November to prepare for next year's Super Rugby. But if they don't, he could make a permanent return to Cape Town or move to Durban or Pretoria.

“Demetri's agent has put out feelers to three unions, not just to us,” WP coach Allister Coetzee told Supersport.

“He is also talking to the Sharks and to the Bulls. I understand he wants to play Premier Division rugby (the EP Kings are only in the First Division) and we will look at his situation once the promotion-relegation series has been completed and we know where he stands.”

Coetzee did not say directly whether WP would still be interested in Catrakilis if he was going to be returning to the Kings in November.

With Gary van Aswegen impressing in the number 10 jersey for the Stormers in their final Super Rugby match against the Bulls, it would not make sense for Catrakilis to play for WP in the Currie Cup if he was not going to play for the Stormers in 2014.

It was understood that being first-choice was one of the pre-requisites that Catrakilis' agent made for the player to stay in the Cape when he was negotiating with WP last year.

“I will never make any promise like that,” added Coetzee.

“Gary van Aswegen was brilliant in the game against the Bulls and we are backing him. I've been through the video of that game a few times now and it is unbelievable how Gary went.

“He never made a single mistake, which is unheard of for a fly-half. We also have Kurt Coleman, and Tim Swiel, the U21 fly-half, is also a promising player.”

There is also still a chance that the Stormers will hold onto Elton Jantjies next year. Jantjies played for them on loan from the Lions this season and has now returned to Johannesburg to be part of that franchise's promotion/relegation challenge.

He will also play for the Lions in the Currie Cup. But Coetzee revealed that the possibility of Jantjies playing for the Stormers again had not been ruled out.

“We are negotiating and it all depends on what demands are made and what is discussed,” he said.