Confirmed: Eben Etzebeth to join Sharks on long-term deal

The Sharks confirmed a major coup on Thursday with the signing of Springbok second-row forward Eben Etzebeth, who will join the franchise from Toulon once the French season has ended.

Etzebeth, set to join the coastal side in July this year, signed on a long-term contract until 2027.

While the move had hardly been the best kept secret in South African rugby, the Sharks said they were delighted to seal the deal.

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“Attracting a player of Etzebeth’s calibre underlines the importance the Sharks place on building a winning squad, which is aligned to the vision of being the biggest franchise in world rugby,” said Sharks CEO Ed Coetzee.

“We’re also focused on building a strong group of players for a number of years, not just the immediate future, and Eben’s long-term contract reflects this.

“We want to create a winning culture here at the Sharks across the board, and from a team perspective, bringing players who have achieved at the highest level helps in our goal of achieving this.”

The 30-year-old Etzebeth, nearing 100 Test matches for the Springboks in a decade long international career, will bolster the Sharks pack, and his physicality and bruising nature will no doubt add to the heights the forwards are striving to achieve.

“These are exciting times,” Etzebeth said from his base in France.

“I’m looking forward to coming to the Sharks and living in Durban, and I expect this to be a wonderful chapter in my career.”

Coming home

He admits that returning to South Africa after spending a few years overseas was a big motivation.

“I can also see things are happening there. Siya (Kolisi) is there and we’ve been friends since were in the provincial Under-19s together, and now we will get to play for the Sharks together.

“Along with my Springbok teammates Bongi Mbonambi, Makazole Mapimpi, Lukhanyo Am, Thomas du Toit, all guys I know well, I’m also really excited to meet a few new guys.”