Springbok wing Tonderai Chavhanga won’t be playing for the Stormers in 2010 after he signed a two-year contract with the Lions on Monday.

His manager, Neil Minnaar, confirmed Chavhanga’s move – on the same day the Western Province wing became a father for the first time when his wife gave birth to a baby girl.

Chavhanga’s WP contract expires at the end of October but, according to Minnaar, they have not yet come forward with a new deal.

“Tonderai is going to the Lions. He has signed a two-year contract,” said Minnaar.”I asked Western Province at the end of the Super 14 what Tondie’s situation was as his contract ends on October 31. But nothing has been forthcoming.

“So I put his name out in the market and there was lots of interest all over the world. We only heard from WP recently. We met with Rassie Erasmus on September 8 and he said that there would be something from WP by September 14. But there has still been nothing. So Tondie decided to sign for the Lions.”


28 Responses to Chavanga Signed with Lions

  • 1

    nie seker of die jan n goeie kopie is nie.hy neig om beserings te kry

  • 2

    Habana for Chavanga…

    Hmmm…

    Tough trade…

    NOT

  • 3

    @Morné – chavanga vir fourie klink ok nie hot nie

  • 4

    show me the money!!!!!!! good on him. wp need to get their house in order and start communicating with the players. the lions seem to be getting theirs right….finally

  • 5

    Ah well at least we are getting one new player who is younger than 30.
    Now we jusy need about another 10 good buys and we are ready for the Super 14.

  • 6

    @Boelie

    There is a couple of players from WP I do not mind seeing leaving.

    Chav’s is one of them.

  • 7

    WP is making the better deal.

  • 8

    Chavanga is one of those perrenial sick-note players… he’ll fit in well at the Lions.

    He is injured more than being ready to play…

  • 9

    KOm ons wees eerlik manne. As die ou die dag goed gespeel het, was dit goeie rugby om na te kyk. Sou eerder Aplon wou sien gaan as Chav. Maar Vir elke goeie game het hy 5 slegtes en hy kry rerig te maklik seer. Lyk of hy n permanente probleem met sy hammies het. Ek wil ook net se, as Rassie nie in hom belang gestel het nie, moes hulle eerlik en oop met hom gewees het. Moenie n ou aan n lyntjie hou nie. Dit is nie reg nie. Ek wil ook net se oor die J Fourie saga. WP het Jean vroeer van sy kontrak los gemaak en hom nie gedwing om die CCup klaar te maak nie. So ek dink die Lions kan dieselfde doen.

  • 10

    @grootblousmile Wat dink jy is julle kans Saterdag?

  • 11

    Chavanga is geen verlies. Ek vrees elke keer as hy getackle word, hy nie gaan opstaan nie en soos Wittenblou sê, hy’t permanent ‘n getrekte hammie. Rassie voel seker met Koster, JJ Engelbrecht, Petersen, Nakalakaki etc hy het nie Chavanga nodig nie. Chavanga is seker nie ‘n slegte koop as jy vir ‘n POC soek vir balans nie.

  • 12

    Good move Chavanga. Maybe the Lions can use him to the optimimum. He has loads of speed, get him in more space more often Lions.

  • 13

    @Supa Die Bloubul – A move is good when you move in good times, and not hard. He would have been without a job, and I’m sure he’s getting paid less at the Lions than at WP.
    Simple rule of life actually. Make changes in good times, for the changes you make in desperate times, often turns out to be the wrong ones.

  • 14

    @Supa Die Bloubul – and the air is thinner….he can run faster lol

  • 15

    @isigidi

    Im seeing this out of Chavanga point of view. He has stagnated at WP and shouldve been better by now. He showed good talent early years even scoring six tries against Uruguy on debut. Also. To revive his career, he needs gametime. At the Lions he will get enough of that, not in the Cape competing with Habana. So for him, I consider it a good move. I would rather play s14 with the Lions and get gametime than play Vodacom Cup for WP.

  • 16

    14@Martin

    hehehe..good one!

  • 17

    @isigidi – Baie goed gestel.

  • 18

    How much did WP pay the Lions?

  • 19

    “We met with Rassie Erasmus on September 8 and he said that there would be something from WP by September 14. But there has still been nothing. So Tondie decided to sign for the Lions.”

    Surely you need to be more honest and straightforward with players? At least tell him his contract wont be renewed as Delport was told by the Bulls.
    They are spending hours to get Habana and Mossie to the Cape with laywers, hearings etc. Simply tell Chavanga his contract wont be renewed or whatever they decide.
    That being said, I dont blame WP for letting him go.

  • 20

    10@WitenBlou – Bulle se kanse is goed… dies op Loftus… maar ek skryf NOOOOOIT die Cheetahs af nie… en hulle het geweldig verbeter soos die seisoen aangaan.

    Cheetahs het ‘n sterk voorry, heeltemal onderskatte slotte, blerrie goeie loosies… dit neuk net in die agterlyn, maar selfs daar het hulle spoed…

  • 21

    @Supa Die Bloubul – Don’t debate your point at all. In fact, for the same reason I think someone like Cockett, Jannie Dup, one of Cheatah Strauss brothers etc should also move to a province where they can be in the run-on team.
    Generally speaking I think it’s obviously better to make a move while you’re in demand.

  • 22

    21@isigidi

    Exactly! For WP is a good move, because they are getting Habana and losing Chavanga. But for Chavanga to have any chance of being a star, he needs to move
    Chavanga deosnt want to go overseas. So it was either “no-gametime” or grabbing a contract with the Lions.
    On the Jannie Dup, Kockett point – what do you thinkof the NZL draft system?

  • 23

    21@isigidi

    Unfortunately, Chavanga doesnt have the option of moving in “good times”

  • 24

    Lions have history of taking injury plagued players, rehabilitating them, and then losing them.
    Big Joe: His career nosedived at WP, moved back to Jozi, got fit, played for the Bokke, then moved overseas.
    Geo Cronje: Bad tractor accident, seemed as if his career was over. Got back in to the game, was not the same player that almost made the WC squad in 2001, but started showing some form towards the end of his comeback season
    Jacques Cronje: Career going nowhere at the Bulls, signed for the Lions, had some big games, now overseas.
    Ashwin Willemse: Lions stuck with him through all his injuries, was selected by Jake for 2007 WC squad. Body could no longer handle the pressure of top flight rugby, retired at halfway through the 2008 S14.

    There are more, but suffice it say, the Lions is where players get a chance to resurrect careers, rather than destroy them.

  • 25

    @Lion4ever – Ashwin Willemse did nto leave the lions because he cannot handle the pressure of top flight rugby , he left because of their then racist forwards coach and the manner in which his outburst at black players was handled.

  • 26

    9@WitenBlou – Why should the GLRU let JF out of his contract?

    Believe me it’s going to get ugly. I expect Kevin de Klerk will make JF honour his contract even if he doesn’t play Rugby for a year.

    Expect SARU to step in, and KdK and Regan Hoskens to have a few verbal exchanges. I don’t know what the outcome will be, but KdK will not back down easily.

    It’s a long time since I’ve seen someone so passionate at the helm of the GLRU.

  • 27

    Sparty,

    I gave the official reason as given by Loffie and Ashwin. I think he said that his body was just too sore to carry on. I admire a man who knows when enough is enough. After all the injuries he endured, keeping match fit, and the monster hits that happen in modern rugby surely takes its toll on the body.

  • 28

    @sparty

    You are aware that Ashwin left the Lions three years ago to play o/seas and came back.

    Secondly, Leon Boshoff was cleared of all racist allegations against him. It was a mutual parting of ways after that.

    Get your facts straight.

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