Springbok and Sharks captain John Smit has confirmed that he will join Aviva Premiership team Saracens on a two year deal after the rugby world cup this year.

While Smit’s signing was expected neither party had denied or confirmed the signing until now.

Smit said on his Twitter account, “It’s official, I proudly announce today that I’ll be joining Saracens once this season is over for 2 seasons and look forward to a new chapter.”

Smit is expected to fall behind Schalk Brits in the selection pecking order and ironically despite his form Brits has not been selected for the Springboks in the TriNations or world cup.

“Schalk Brits is one of their best players and my role there will be probably to relieve the pressure on him a bit and hopefully bring through some of the younger players, ” Smit said in the Telegraph.

“It is probably a little frustrating for him (to be overlooked by the Springboks) but his cause probably hasn’t been helped by the fact that we had to pick overseas players like Ruan Pienaar and Francois Steyn as most teams don’t like to pick too many players abroad. ”

Smit has won 102 caps for the Springboks and captained the team in 72 of those matches.

He has also announced that he will retire from international Rugby at the end of the Rugby World Cup which starts in September.

Smit has spent the last five seasons with the Sharks battling for game time with fellow Springbok Hooker Bismarck du Plessis and this forced his move to prop for a couple of seasons and this has led to a drop on form.

“I am hoping to make it to the World Cup and have a pretty good shout there and that will be me,” Smit said in the Telegraph

“I have had 11 years with the Boks so I think I have had my fair share and that will allow me to concentrate fully with Saracens, when I link up with them two weeks after my last game (for South Africa), which will hopefully be early part of November.”