England international Theo Dan has put pen to paper on a new contract with PREM side Saracens, Louis Bielle-Biarrey finds himself facing a huge contract conundrum, and Sale Sharks have added yet another South African forward to their ranks.
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Theo Dan to stay with Saracens
England hooker Theo Dan has re-committed his future to PREM side Saracens, signing a new deal with the North London side for next season.
Dan, 25, progressed through the club’s academy ranks and made his senior bow in November 2021. In the years since, he has notched a tally of 79 appearances for Saracens, and helped the club win the 2023 PREM Final.
He has also become a key figure in Steve Borthwick’s England side, featuring at the 2023 World Cup and winning 24 caps at the time of writing. However, he recently lost his Enhanced EPS contract and did not register an appearance in the 2026 Six Nations.
Commenting on his new deal with the North Londoners, Dan said: “I am really happy to have re-signed for Saracens. I am looking forward to continuing my development and being part of such a talented and exciting group of players.”
Saracens director of rugby, Mark McCall, added: “Theo is widely respected throughout the club and is rapidly establishing himself as a central figure within the squad. His natural talent has been strengthened by his impressive dedication and work ethic, allowing him to develop all aspects of his game.
“At just 25, he has a hugely promising future ahead, and we are thrilled that his journey will continue with Saracens.”
Louis Bielle-Biarrey contract conundrum
France superstar Louis Bielle-Biarrey is stuck in the middle of a major contract conundrum, with his current deal at Bordeaux-Begles set to expire at the end of the season.
The lightning-fast winger, who has spent the entirety of his senior career with UBB after arriving from Grenoble as an 18-year-old, is set for talks with the French side later this month, but they are not the only club interested in his services, either.
Per reports from RugbyPass, Toulon have been namechecked as a possible landing spot for the Frenchman, while Pau and Stade Francais have also been namechecked as well.
But, it is understood his preferred solution would be to remain at the Stade Chaban-Delmas, which then also throws up possible salary cap issues.
His form for both club and country now means he will likely command more than his current reported salary of $350,000, below the highest earners Maxime Lucu and Damian Penaud, which could throw the reigning European champions into a salary cap issue and, according to RugbyPass, potentially move some of their current squad on.
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News of his contract talks also comes amid the backdrop of the aforementioned Lucu re-signing with the club until the end of 2029, which was announced in the pre-match build-up of their Investec Champions Cup meeting with Toulouse, and will likely make the situation even more precarious.
Sale Sharks add latest South African to ranks
Sale Sharks have further bolstered their ranks for next season with the signing of Pumas forward JJ Scheepers.
Scheepers becomes the latest Puma to head to the PREM for next season, with Ruan ‘Sampie’ Swiegers penning a deal with Harlequins. Elsewhere, fellow forward Ruwald van der Merwe will also head north at the end of the Currie Cup campaign after signing for Glasgow Warriors.
With three of his forwards already confirmed to be leaving ahead of next season, Pumas boss Jimmy Stonehouse admitted it’s nice to see his players get deals at top-flight clubs.
“It is nice to see our players getting contracts. It has now been proven time and again that players who come here have a good chance of getting opportunities elsewhere,” he told Netwerk24.
“Sometimes it becomes difficult. It is sometimes difficult to build a team. As soon as we get the guys to a certain level, they are on their way somewhere else again. But we know that is why we are here.”
The lock forward is also the latest new face to be confirmed by the North West outfit, with Courtney Lawes, Tomas Francis, Nicky Smith, Christ Tshiunza, Joe Marchant and Alex Lozowski all heading to the CorpAcq next season.