Jack Wilson
The Cell C Sharks have lured a New Zealand Sevens player to Durban as they continue to bolster their own ranks.
New Zealand-born wing Jack Wilson has signed for the Sharks from English Premiership club Saracens and will immediately join the Super Rugby squad.
The talented wing, 25, arrived in London in December 2012 and has scored 6 tries in 19 appearances for Saracens.
His arrival follows shortly after confirmation that Saracens’ England lock Mouritz Botha will also make Durban his home next year. Botha, unlike Wilson, will only join the coastal franchise in January.
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Mark McCall, Director of Rugby at Saracens, said Wilson has made an “excellent impression”.
“He would like to return to the Southern Hemisphere and seize this opportunity in South Africa,” McCall said.
“Our policy is always to align the interests of the club with the interests of the player, and we will not stand in his way.”
Wilson began his career as a loose forward, but made an impact on the wing for Bay of Plenty in the New Zealand Cup.
Strongly built and blessed with blistering pace, New Zealand Sevens coach Gordon Tietjens earmarked him as a potential star in the abbreviated version of the game.
“I’ve had a fantastic time at Saracens, and I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to be part of this special club,” Wilson said.
Wilson, born and bred in the Te Puke area and moved from Christchurch to Bay of Plenty, is a rare breed – a forward who has made the move out into double digits.
Wilson got a scholarship to Auckland private school Kings College after he finished at Te Puke Intermediate and spent his last two years in the first XV – alternating between flank and hooker. A move south to Christchurch to study at Canterbury University prompted another move to No 8.
But it was a speed test at a New Zealand Sevens camp at Mt Maunganui that first opened the door to a move into the backline, with Wilson clocking 4.3 seconds over 40m and piquing the interest of national coach Gordon Tietjens.
Wilson, after making his NZ Sevens debut at Hong Kong in 2012, joined Saracens midway through the 2012 / 2013 season. He made his debut against Cardiff Blues and went on to make a total of 3 appearances in the 2012 / 2013 season.
During the 2013 / 2014 season Wilson made 9 Premiership appearances for the club, scoring 3 tries including a fine solo effort against Leicester at a rain soaked Allianz Park in Saracens’ 49-10 win over the Tigers.
However, he has struggled to move ahead of England wings Chris Ashton and David Strettle in the pecking order.