Bok prop joins exodus to the north

TRANSFER NEWS: Steve Diamond continues to bolster his Sale Sharks team with Springboks ahead of the 2019/2020 Premiership season

Coenie Oosthuizen has become the latest Springbok to sign for the English club and he follows his former Cheetahs teammate Lood De Jager to Manchester.

Springboks Robert du Preez and Akker van der Merwe also put pen to paper earlier this year to join Sale.

The 30-year old Oosthuizen, who can play on both sides of the scrum, has signed a three-year contract and will join Sale Sharks from South Africa’s Sharks after the conclusion of the 2019 Super Rugby season.

NEW SIGNING | Sale Sharks sign Springbok International Prop Coenie Ooosthuizen from the Cell-C Sharks! 🦈

Read more here 👉 https://t.co/5CCADGjEwI #SharkTime pic.twitter.com/zigngqzr54

— Sale Sharks🦈 (@SaleSharksRugby) May 13, 2019

Oosthuizen started his career in Bloemfontein with the Cheetahs, playing in both the Currie Cup and Super Rugby for his home town team along with Lood De Jager. He went on to make 129 appearances in all competitions for the Cheetahs and the 130kg prop ended the 2010 Currie Cup season as the team’s top try scorer.

Coenie quickly established himself in the professional game as a dynamic player with exceptional speed and agility for his size. After a stand out season in 2010 he was selected as part of the Springbok squad to tour Europe in November of the same year but did not make his international test debut until June 9, 2012, starting against England in Durban. He has since gone on to win a total of 30 caps for the South African national side.

After seven years in Bloemfontein and talk of the Cheetahs being cut from Super Rugby, Oosthuizen left in 2016 to join the Sharks on a four-year deal. He has made a total of 33 appearances for the Durban based franchise to date.

Sale Sharks Director of Rugby Steve Diamond was pleased to announce the signing this week.

“Coenie joining us, along with Lood is a huge statement of where we want to be, he is 130kg, can play on both sides of the scrum and has a skillset away from the set piece that is unique for a prop of his size,” said Diamond.

“He also has considerable experience playing with Akker van der Merwe at the Sharks so I think he will fit in perfectly at Sale. We look forward to welcoming him to Manchester later in the year ahead of the 19/20 Premiership.”