Player Movements
Jordan Venter
Edinburgh have added to their squad ahead of next season with the signing of South African centre, Jordan Venter.
Venter, 17, will link-up with the capital club in December 2020 following the conclusion of the South African academic year and joins from Stellenbosch’s Paul Roos Gymnasium School.
On signing with the club, Venter, said: “I’m very humbled by the opportunity to join Edinburgh. I’m still a young man with lots to learn, so getting the chance to develop my own game overseas is the best decision for my rugby career.
“Edinburgh, as a city and as a club, has so much heritage and tradition. While the coaching staff and squad there are phenomenal.
“I’ve also got a good relationship with some of the South African players already there, so it will make for an easy transition when I make the move to Scotland.”
Head Coach Richard Cockerill, added: “Jordan is a young, athletic centre with bags of potential. We have kept a close eye on his school career and he’ll be a welcome addition to the squad next season.”
Canada star DTH van der Merwe is relishing the prospect of finally facing his native South Africa in 15-a-side action when the countries meet at the Rugby World Cup.
Tuesday’s Pool B match in Kobe will be just the third time they have played each other and the first in 19 years — when current Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus featured in a 51-18 win for the two-time world champions.
It promises to be a rugby highlight for van der Merwe, a veteran of 60 Tests and stints at clubs in England, Wales and Scotland.
“Something I’ve looked forward to my whole career is to play against South Africa,” van der Merwe told reporters on Sunday.
“Now at your last World Cup it’s quite special. I did play against them in the Sevens back in the day but I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” added the 33-year-old, whose family emigrated to Canada when he was a teenager.
Meanwhile van der Merwe was in no doubt of the challenge posed by the Springboks.
“They have got a physical pack that’s complemented with a real speedy backline,” he said.
“For us it’s a great opportunity just to measure ourselves against one of the best teams in the world.”
Van der Merwe will be playing in his 15th World Cup match, a record for a Canadian.
Sale have signed South Africa scrum-half Embrose Papier on a three-month loan as World Cup cover for compatriot Faf de Klerk.
The 22-year-old plays for the Pretoria-based Bulls franchise in Super Rugby, making 23 appearances so far.
Papier made his South Africa debut against Wales in Washington DC in June 2018 and won his most recent cap in a 20-11 defeat in Cardiff last November.
He narrowly missed out on a place in the Springboks’ World Cup squad.
Stade Francais have announced the arrival of Scotland international Josh Strauss as a medical joker for at least a three-month period.
The 32-year-old South African earned his last Test cap just last Saturday when coming off the bench in Scotland’s win over Georgia in Tbilisi.
However, he was deemed surplus to requirement by Gregor Townsend when the Scots named their World Cup squad on Tuesday and he has now been snapped up on a short-term deal by the Top 14 Parisians. Strauss had been playing in recent times for Sale in the Premiership.
Exeter have signed lock Jannes Kirsten from South African Super Rugby side the Bulls on a one-year deal.
The 25-year-old joined the Bulls in 2012 and this will be his first time playing for another club.
Kirsten, who can also play back row, is the sixth signing of the summer for Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter.
Kirsten told the club website: “If you ask any South African player, they want to come here and have a taste of the Premiership.”
Edinburgh have continued to strengthen their squad ahead of next season with the signing of South African scrum-half, Nic Groom.
Groom, 29, joins from Super Rugby side Lions and brings a wealth of experience having amassed over 100 appearances for both the Stormers and Northampton Saints in recent seasons.
The scrum-half was a key man in the 2019 Lions Super Rugby squad that narrowly missed out on reaching the knockout stages of the competition, appearing in 13 out of 16 conference fixtures.
On joining the club, Groom said: “I’m really excited to link-up with Edinburgh. I’ve been keeping an eye on their results from South Africa and it’s definitely a club on the rise. I can’t wait to play my role in the seasons to come.
“My time at the Lions has been awesome. I’ve had the chance to work with fantastic coaches alongside some great players and I’m hugely grateful for the opportunity they gave me to play for them.
“From what I’ve heard, Edinburgh is a great place to live and play your rugby. My family can’t wait for the adventure that lies ahead.”
Kyle Steyn in action for Scotland 7s
Kyle Steyn tells a story about unity, forgiveness and love, the tale of a white South African cop assigned to protect Nelson Mandela amid some of the most volatile days the nation had seen.
The subject of the yarn is Steyn’s father, Rory, a former Johannesburg police officer raised in the days of apartheid and conditioned by division. In 1994, he was hired to lead the security team who watched over the newly-elected president during his five-year term – he knew little of what to expect or what kind of man he had been tasked with guarding.
Zander Fagerson will play his first game in five months tomorrow, having recovered from a broken leg.
The tight-head prop was injured against the Cheetahs on Glasgow’s trip to South Africa in September and is named to start against Cardiff Blues following five months of rehabilitation.
George Turner also returns from injury to start, the hooker hasn’t played since picking up an ankle injury in Glasgow’s home game against Lyon in the Champions Cup in December. Alex Allan completes the front-row.
Scott Cummings will play his 50th game for the club behind them, Tim Swinson is his partner in the engine room.
There is news and rumour of the movements of two young South African props with Edinburgh Rugby the common denominator in both.
Firstly, the news: Tight head prop Kyle Whyte is returning from Edinburgh to try and join the Sharks.
Secondly, the rumour: Loose head prop Pierre Schoeman could be moving from the Bulls to join Edinburgh Rugby.
Edinburgh’s Duhan van der Merwe
Duhan van der Merwe freely admits he viewed Edinburgh more as a club that could help kickstart his career than one which would be competing for honours when he joined last year.
The imposing 6ft 4in, 16 stone South African wing signed a two-year deal from Montpellier but was frustrated by a five-month injury which delayed his Edinburgh debut until November, which ironically came in his homeland during the back-to-back games against Cheetahs and Southern Kings. Since then, his five tries have helped contribute to Richard Cockerill’s men pushing themselves into play-off contention and the winger is now hoping to add a European semi-final to what is unfolding as an excellent season when Cardiff Blues come to BT Murrayfield tomorrow evening in the Challenge Cup quarter-final.
Nathan Mc Beth
Head Coach Stevie Scott has named the Scotland U20 team to face Wales at Parc Eirias in the opening fixture of the U20 Six Nations this Friday (2 February, kick-off 8.15pm) . Scott has named the Golden Lions youngster, who has decided to through in his lot with Scotland, Nathan Mc Beth, as one the props on the bench.
Of the 23-man squad named, 11 players are products of the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy.
In the centre, Stafford McDowell – one of two players in the starting XV to feature in last summer’s World Rugby U20 Championship – is joined by Strathallan School product Mark New.
Edinburgh Rugby’s Callum McLelland and livewire scrum-half Kaleem Barreto form an all action half-back partnership.
Hooker Robbie Smith is named as captain and will pack down alongside Edinburgh Accies duo Shaun Gunn and Finlay Richardson – who complete the powerful front-row trio.
In the second-row, Jamie Hodgson is joined by Racing 92’s Ewan Johnson, whilst Archie Erksine, Guy Graham and Devante Onojaife form an abrasive back-row.
Gary Graham called up for England training camp
Bath prop Beno Obano and Newcastle flanker Gary Graham have been called up to England training for the first time.
Obano, 23, and Graham, 25, are part of a 34-man training squad named by England boss Eddie Jones for a two-day camp in Brighton starting on 1 January.
Saracens winger Nathan Earle is also included but Courtney Lawes is rested for personal reasons, while Elliot Daly and Nathan Hughes are injured.
James Haskell is recalled while injured number eight Billy Vunipola will also attend as champions England start their preparations for the Six Nations – their first match is against Italy in Rome on Sunday, 4 February.
Edinburgh prop Darryl Marfo will make his Scotland debut in Saturday’s autumn Test against Samoa at Murrayfield.
Hooker Stuart McInally makes only his fourth Test start in the absence of the injured Fraser Brown and Ross Ford.
Ben Toolis joins Jonny Gray in the second row, with fit-again Alex Dunbar and Huw Jones resuming at centre.
With Brown and Ford on a lengthy injury list, McInally makes his first appearance since the summer tour of Japan in 2016, with WP Nel getting the nod at tight-head over Zander Fagerson.
Three loose-head props – Alasdair Dickinson, Allan Dell and Gordon Reid – are are all missing, while new head coach Gregor Townsend must also do without Greig Laidlaw, Richie Gray, Sean Maitland, Duncan Taylor, Matt Scott and Adam Ashe for his first Test on home soil.
Wing Anthony Volmink will be joining the Southern Kings on loan with immediate effect from the Golden Lions whilst centre Jarryd Sage will leave the Port Elizabeth side.
“We are extremely grateful for the contribution that he made to the Southern Kings during his time here and we wish him only the best going forward.
Sage, 22, who formed part of a quartet of players who joined the Kings from the Golden Lions earlier this season, found opportunities at the local franchise hard to come by as coach Deon Davids opted for a first-choice pairing of vice-captain Luzuko Vulindlu and Berton Klaasen in midfield with Jacques Nel as occasional back-up.
Sage joins the Dragons with effect from December 1.
Harlequins’ Demetri Catrakilis being stretchered off on Sunday
Harlequins fly-half Demetri Catrakilis will miss time after suffering a “small fracture” to a bone in his throat in the win over Gloucester on Sunday.
Catrakilis stopped breathing for several seconds and was taken to hospital after suffering the injury 12 minutes into the game.
Harlequins have not said how long the 28-year-old will be out for, but the injury will not require surgery.
Catrakilis was making his first start since joining Quins in the summer.
Celtic Rugby and the South African Rugby Union have today confirmed that the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings will join an expanded Guinness PRO14 tournament in time for the upcoming 2017/18 season.
A long-term strategic agreement has been signed by both parties which will allow the participation of two South African franchises in the renamed Guinness PRO14 Championship.
The agreement means that the Championship will take place across the northern and southern hemispheres and marks the first phase of expansion as the Guinness PRO14 becomes a truly global tournament.
This move will contribute to the drive for ever higher standards that we demand across the tournament and provide greater resources to our clubs who will compete in the most testing environment the Championship has ever created.
We can also reassure supporters across the Championship that all current home and away Derby games have been protected – these fixtures are sacrosanct to the tournament and those tribal rivalries are just one element of what makes the Guinness PRO14 so special.
With a new format, new teams and new audiences the Guinness PRO14 – which leads World Rugby statistics for Positive Play – will hit even greater heights in 2017/18.
Scottish Rugby is developing a performance pathway with French club Stade Nicois to provide wider opportunities for Scottish players.
For the coming season five players will be based in Nice and will provide playing and coaching resources for the Federale 2 team.
Former Glasgow Warrior centurion Peter Murchie ended his association with the Scotstoun based club at the end of last season and will be developing his coaching with Stade Nicois.
Joining him is former Glasgow Warrior Tyrone Holmes who will be starting a new career path in strength and conditioning with the French club.
On the playing front Scotland U20 players Josh Henderson and Bruce Flockhart are currently in pre-season training with Stade Nicois with a view to playing there in the forthcoming season. Former London Scottish hooker David Cherry has also signed for the club.
Southern Kings and Toyota Cheetahs are set for September start up north
It is understood a deal to expand the Pro12 to 14 teams from next season has been agreed.
The South African sides Toyota Cheetahs and Southern Kings will join the league after losing their Super Rugby status.
The 6-year deal is likely to benefit the league to the tune of an extra £6m per season from the South African Rugby Union and additional television income.
All elements of the deal have been agreed and, once legally ratified, could be formally announced next week.
The new Pro14 league will kick-off in the first week of September and will comprise 2 conferences of 7 teams. Each conference will have 1 Scottish side, 1 South African side, 1 Italian side and 2 each from Wales and Ireland.
The Cheetahs and the Kings will not play Super Rugby in 2018. SA Rugby confirmed the news on Friday, with the Cheetahs having agreed to a settlement.
Both the Kings and the Cheetahs agreed that they would be seeking other international opportunities, with a move to the Pro12 in Europe reportedly an option.
The Cheetahs had an agreement in place to play Super Rugby until 2020, but the board of the franchise decided on an amicable settlement with SA Rugby.
“The board of the Cheetahs has reviewed the team’s future and is extremely positive about the prospect of appearing in alternative international competitions,” Cheetahs CEO Harold Verster said.
“It will be an exciting challenge for our players, supporters and commercial partners and will be the start of a new chapter for rugby both in our region and in South Africa. Also, it will allow the Cheetahs to carve out a new and prominent place on the rugby map in South Africa as well as internationally.”
Brandon Thomson to return to Scotstoun
Stormers fly-half Brandon Thomson will return to Glasgow Warriors on a permanent contract ahead of the 2017/18 season, subject to medical.
The 22-year-old impressed during a short loan spell earlier this year and will return to Scotstoun on a two-year deal within the next couple of months.
Thomson played three times for Glasgow and scored a try on his debut against Ulster.
He can play at fly-half and full-back and has scored 26 points for the Stormers in seven Super Rugby appearances.
Thomson has also represented South Africa U20 at the Junior World Rugby Championship and has played for Western Province in the Provincial Cup and Currie Cup.
His current Stormers teammates Huw Jones and Oli Kebble will also join this summer and other additions to the squad include Adam Hastings from Bath, Callum Gibbins from the Hurricanes, Lelia Masaga from the Chiefs and Samuela Vunisa from Saracens.
Brandon Thomson said: “I’m very excited to be heading back to Scotstoun. I really enjoyed my short stint there earlier in the year and I’m looking forward to many more good times.
Johan ‘Rassie’ Erasmus was named Pro12′ Coach of the Season after guiding Munster to the semifinals of the Celtic League.
Erasmus, who is in his first season in charge of the Irish province, also had six of his Munster players named in the Pro12 Dream Team during the Pro12 Awards, which took place in Dublin on Sunday.
Erasmus recently confirmed that he will see out his contract with Munster after rumours circulated earlier this this year that he was going to return to South Africa to link up with the Springboks.
Meanwhile, Fellow South Africans Jaco Taute and Ruan Pienaar were included in the Dream Team.
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Ulster gave club legend Ruan Pienaar a winning send off at Kingspan with a 17-13 victory over Leinster but it wasn’t enough for them to sneak into the Guinness PRO12 semi-finals.
The home side needed a bonus point victory at least but were unable to get the four-tries against a Leinster side who slipped to second after Munster’s victory.
Roger Wilson, on his 221nd and last Ulster appearance, and Andrew Trimble got the vital scores for Ulster while Leinster responded with a penalty try.
An emotional Pienaar led out the Ulster side with his son Jean Luc at the Kingspan Stadium in what was in final appearance for the club.
Nick Evans
Former All-Blacks fly-half Nick Evans is to retire at the end of the season, once his commitments with Premiership side Harlequins come to an end.
Evans, 36, won 16 caps for New Zealand and has been one of the most successful overseas imports to the Premiership since moving to the Stoop in 2008.
He won a Premiership title in 2011-12 and holds Quins’ scoring record, having amassed 2,217 points in 206 games.
“I couldn’t think of a better place to finish my career,” Evans said.
“This game has taught me everything, showed me things I could never imagine and introduced me to people that are not team-mates but family.
“I need to thank the clubs I have represented, the coaches – who have helped shape the player I am today – and the fans, both in New Zealand where it all started, and here in the UK, for their support and cheers.”
Grayson Hart
Grayson Hart is set to become the second player to join Ealing Trailfinders from Glasgow Warriors this year when the international scrum-half signs on in time for pre-season.
Hart has won three caps for Scotland and follows the route paved by fly-half Rory Clegg who arrived from Glasgow Warriors in February.
“It is such an exciting time to be joining the Ealing Trailfinders as they are playing some excellent rugby and I want to help the club continue to grow.
“I want to contribute to the club on and off the field as best as I possibly can and keep developing as a player and a person.”
The 28-year-old Hart hails from Kaitaia in New Zealand and helped their U20 side win the 2008 U20 World Championship with a 38-3 win over England in the final.
However, he qualified to play for Scotland through his maternal grandmother and won his first cap away to Canada on Scotland’s 2016 summer tour. He then won a further two against Argentina and South Africa.
Oli Kebble
Oli Kebble will join the Warriors next season and the South African-born prop says he has ambitions to play international rugby for Scotland.
Oli will join Glasgow Warriors from the Cape Town-based Stormers after his Super Rugby commitments and will qualify for Scotland honours after completing three years of residency under World Rugby’s eligibility criteria.
He could follow in the footsteps of fellow-prop WP Nel who qualified for Scotland during his time with Edinburgh.
Oli said: “That’s definitely a goal of mine. I’d love to play international rugby and to play for Scotland would be a great honour. I know there’s a three-year waiting period and we’ll see how far I come, but it would definitely be a great thing if I could represent Scotland one day.
“For any rugby player, the ultimate goal would be to play international rugby, so I definitely considered that when talking to the Scottish Rugby Union, and that’s why I chose Glasgow in the end.”
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Lewis Carmichael
Edinburgh Rugby lock Lewis Carmichael has joined Australian Super Rugby outfit Western Force on a short-term loan as part of his personal player development plan.
Carmichael – a first year pro who also plays for Melrose in the BT Premiership – will be available for the Perth based side until the end of the current Super Rugby campaign.
The agreement was brokered by Scottish Rugby’s Director of Rugby, Scott Johnson, and Edinburgh Rugby’s Managing Director, Jonny Petrie, and is designed to help players gain experience in a different training and cultural environment.
Carmichael, who progressed through the Scotland age-grade system, said: “I’m really excited to get out to Australia and it was an offer that I jumped to take.
Josh Strauss
Sale Sharks are delighted to announce the signing of Scottish International Back Row Forward Josh Strauss on a three year deal.
Josh is currently playing for Glasgow Warriors who he joined in 2012 from The Lions and Golden Lions where he was captain.
He made his Currie Cup debut in 2010 and became a cult figure with his style of play and distinctive full length beard.
Josh has been capped eleven times by Scotland after making his international debut against Japan in the 2015 World Cup at Kingsholm.
Director of Rugby Steve Diamond said: ” Josh is a world class ball carrying forward. He has been performing well for both Glasgow and Scotland over the past five years and will compliment the squad in the ball carrying department. He is a leader and a very powerful athlete.
“The new owners Simon Orange and Ged Mason are keen to help Sale Sharks to become one of the leading clubs and signings like Josh will help our cause.”
BrandonThomson
Glasgow Warriors have signed fly-half Brandon Thomson on a short-term deal from the Stormers in South Africa.
He has started training with his new teammates at Scotstoun, after arriving in Glasgow from Cape Town.
The 21-year-old will be at the club for the next two months, with Finn Russell away with Scotland and Peter Horne currently sidelined with an ankle injury.
Thomson has played six times in Super Rugby for the Stormers and has scored 26 points.
He has also represented South Africa U20s at the World Rugby Under 20 Championship and has played for Western Province in the Provincial Cup and Currie Cup.
Racing 92 are to launch legal proceedings against want-away Springbok utility back Johan Goosen over what they allege is”blatant fraud”.
The Parisian club said the 24-year-old, player of the year last season in France, had not appeared “for the last two days and seems to have vacated his residence,”
Last month the Springboks star said he was quitting rugby to return to South Africa.
“As far as Racing 92 is concerned, Johan Goosen still remains bound to the club by an employment contract lasting four years, while his residence, company car, locker and place in the locker-room all remain at his disposal,” said the club, who play Munster in European action this weekend.
Reigning 1872 Cup holders Edinburgh Rugby host Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield in their Guinness PRO12 league match which doubles up as the first leg of this season’s 1872 Cup.
Glasgow Warriors are currently in 6th place on the PRO12 log with 27 points, 10 points off leaders Munster after 10 rounds, while Edinburgh who parted ways with Alan Solomons earlier this season are down in lowly 10th place with a mere 17 points. Both teams are doing fairly well in Europe although Glasgow are playing in the top European Rugby Champions Cup while Edinburgh are playing in the Challenge Cup.
There will be a mouth watering battle of the back rows, especially at number 8 where players who both used to ply their trade in South Africa Josh Strauss and Cornell du Preez have been selected for Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively.
The curtain has come down on the Autumn Internationals and there can now be little doubt that the gap has closed between the north and south. However, the prevailing question is: Have the Northern Hemisphere teams strengthened or have the Southern sides weakened?
In my book, it’s a 60:40 split. Forty per cent is owing to much better cohesion from Northern Hemisphere teams and continuity in terms of selection under the guidance of astute coaches. However, 60 per cent is due to the fact that Southern Hemisphere rugby has waned. Harsh questions have to be asked around competition structures in the south, as well as eligibility of foreign-based players.
Niko Matawalu
Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter believes new signing Niko Matawalu can add some real ‘X-Factor’ to his backline after he today agreed a deal until the end of the season.
The Fijian international will head to Sandy Park from Aviva Premiership rivals Bath Rugby and will join up with his new team-mates once the current autumn internationals are concluded.
Equally at home either on the wing or at scrum-half, Baxter believes the 27-year-old is a great addition to the Chiefs make-up and is excited at what he can bring to the club moving forward.
“Initially Niko’s joining until the end of the season,” said Baxter. “Initially we want to have a good look at him and then we’ll see if there is an opportunity beyond that.
“As a club we’re really looking forward to bringing him here. We had a good look at him previously when he first decided to move on from Glasgow to Bath, but now the opportunity has arisen for us to sign him and it’s come at the right time for us.
We’re not expecting him to be 100 per cent straight away as he has had a relatively lengthy injury, but he’s fully fit now, he’s ready to play, and we’re hoping he will get some good game time during these autumn internationals to help get him right up to speed.”
Eben Etzebeth
Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth could earn substantial amounts during a short stint in England.
Bok coach Allister Coetzee told the media in London on Monday that the Stormers lock was set to sign a short-term deal with a Premiership club in England.
Etzebeth, 25, was earlier linked with a move to Saracens, a club which boasts a rich tradition of fielding South African players.
That move failed to materialise, but according to Netwerk24, the lock enforcer is now being linked to Bristol.
According to the Afrikaans publication, rumours are doing the rounds that Etzebeth could earn up to £40 000 (about R665 200) per game.
The Emirates Lions / Xerox Golden Lions have made a number of media releases in the last few days relating to player movements and news.
Herewith a summary of those releases:
Eben Etzebeth
Saracens are in advanced talks to sign South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth on a short-term deal.
Etzebeth is set to move to England following his international matches in November.
The 24-year-old is contracted to the Stormers and the South African Rugby Union, but last year had a three-month spell in Japan during the southern hemisphere off-season.
South African sources have indicated a similar deal is expected with Saracens.
Etzebeth, who has 53 Springbok caps, is regarded as one of the best forwards in world rugby, and the deal would be one of the biggest signings in Premiership history.
The deal would have to be approved by SA Rugby and, if it is completed, Etzebeth would act as injury dispensation for Saracens’ former club captain Alistair Hargreaves, who was forced to retire this month because of concussion.