Our latest transfers and rumours update is South African-focused, featuring reports on the Sharks, Stormers, and Bulls’ plans.
Sharks’ new signing eyes All Blacks clash
The Sharks have landed the signing of Brive-based back-rower Hendre Stassen, who is set to join the Durbanites once his commitments with the Pro D2 club this season conclude.
A source told Rapport that the 28-year-old “hopes to help Brive win the Pro D2 title” before linking up with the Sharks.
“He achieved what he wanted at Brive. Hendre is returning because he wants to play against the All Blacks and in the United Rugby Championship, which is a higher level than the Pro D2.”
If he does join the Sharks, it would be the third South African team that the loose forward, who can also play lock, has represented, as he started his career out with the Bulls in 2018. A move to French club Stade Francais followed but in 2019, his career came to a screeching halt when he returned a positive doping test and was subsequently handed a four-year ban.
The Stormers handed him a lifeline in 2023 once he had served the ban, as he played a handful of matches for the side before signing a deal with Brive.
Stassen is set to join the Sharks ahead of their Currie Cup campaign, which starts on July 18 and has clearly set his sights on facing the All Blacks during the Greatest Rivalry Series with Durbanites hosting New Zealand on August 11.
Stormers’ lock options after unplanned Springbok exit
Salmaan Moerat’s move to La Rochelle at the end of the season has forced the Stormers into a rethink of their locking stocks, director of rugby John Dobson has confirmed.
The 28-year-old was contracted through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup but has been released from the final year on that contract to join the Top 14 giants, with fellow lock Ruben van Heerden also leaving Cape Town at the end of the season to join Montpellier.
Van Heerden’s departure was something that the Stormers were aware of as they made plans for next season but pairing that with Moerat’s departure leaves the club making adjustments.
“We didn’t expect to lose two locks,” Dobson told Netwerk24. “We’ve known for some time about Ruben going to Montpellier and then Salmaan got his opportunity and it’s a good one for him and his family. We didn’t want to stand in his way.”
The double departure does leave the Stormers lighter in the second-row than this season but Dobson is confident that they have sufficient cover in the form of Guy Porter and Connor Evans, as well as Junior Springboks captain Riley Norton.
Porter has endured an injury-plagued spell lately which has limited his involvement, while Evans and Norton are two players the Stormers boss believes have huge potential.
Still, that has stopped him from weighing up his options.
“It could be a bit of a rebuilding phase at the end. We are talking to one player overseas but it’s just a conversation at the moment and nothing more,” he added.
Dobson thinks that he can ‘get by’ with the trio mentioned above as well as Springboks forward Ben-Jason Dixon, who can slot into the lock position despite being primarily a back-rower.
Sale circle Embrose Papier
Last week, Rapport reported that the Bulls would need help from SA Rugby and Rassie Erasmus in order to retain the services of scrum-half Embrose Papier, whose contract expires at the end of next season.
Papier has been arguably the form number nine in South Africa for multiple seasons now and has been particularly excellent this campaign despite the Bulls’ inconsistencies.
However, that form hasn’t convinced Erasmus and his staff, as Papier was overlooked for the Springbok alignment camps this year and hasn’t added to his seven Test caps that he earned back in 2018.
According to the report, the Bulls would need financial assistance from SA Rugby, in the form of the PONI contract (Player of National Interest), to keep the scrum-half in Pretoria as his stocks continue to rise and overseas clubs take notice.
One club has reportedly expressed its interest already with Sale Sharks approaching the Bulls to buy the scrum-half out of the final year of his contract, according to Rugby Pass.
The report states that the Sharks are willing to pay a fee in order to secure Papier’s early exit but have been rebuffed by the Bulls who eager to hold onto his services at least until they find a replacement.
That replacement could come in the form of ex-Sharks and Lions scrum-half Sanele Nohamba who is currently plying his trade with the Shizuoka BlueRevs in the Japan Rugby League One.
Ruan Nortje to join Malcolm Marx in Japan as Bulls back youth to fill his void
Last week, the Bulls announced the shock departure of club stalwart Ruan Nortje with the Springboks second-rower signing with an unnamed Japan Rugby League One club.
Rapport have now stated that he will be joining the Kubota Spears who are coached by ex-Bulls boss Frans Ludeke and have 2025 World Rugby Player of the Year, Malcolm Marx, on their payroll.
He will be tasked with filling the void of Lappies Labuschagne and David Bulbring who has been confirmed as part of the club’s departees at the end of the season, along with former Wallabies fly-half Bernard Foley.
The report adds that Labuschagne is set to return to South Africa, where he will decide whether to extend his career beyond his 37th birthday or hang up his boots, while it’s unclear whether Bulbring will continue his career too.
While Nortje’s departure will be a hammer blow to the Bulls, with the 27-year-old being one of the best locks in the world over the past 12 months or so, head coach Johan Ackermann believes that they have sufficient cover in the position going forward.
21-year-old JF van Heerden is one of the top up-and-coming locks in South Africa whilst the Bulls also have the likes of Reinhardt Ludwig, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg and Sintu Manjezi on their books.
“I think we have good depth at lock in JF, Reinhardt and Nicolaas,” Ackermann told the publication.
“Nicolaas offers us experience and even JF and Reinhardt have played a lot of matches in the United Rugby Championship and each of them have their strengths.
“We selected Reinhardt at five lock earlier this year when Ruan was unavailable, and he also has the ability to play seven-flank. I see a lot of potential in JF too, he is a hard-working lock and then you have Nicolaas’ experience of playing all over the world.”