Stormers set to walk away from Pead deal over Lions' exorbitant demands
NEWS: The Stormers look set to walk away from negotiations to lure star scrumhalf Haashim Pead back to Cape Town.
Pead is keen to return to his home town, but outlandish demands from his current employer, the Lions, over a transfer fee has scuppered the deal.
The 21-year-old, who is under contract with the Lions until 2028, has experienced limited game time at Ellis Park, which prompted him to seek an early release.
According to reliable information, the Lions have demanded what would have been a record transfer fee, apparently more than two times the amount the Sharks received to release Springbok captain Siya Kolisi to the Stormers.
Pead was willing to pay a portion of the transfer fee out of his own pocket, but the Lions’ unreasonable demands over the ‘terms of payment’ have scuppered the deal.
Apart from the exorbitant transfer fee, the Lions further made the negotiation process challenging by demanding the full transfer fee up front.
@rugby365com reached out to Lions CEO Rudolf Straeuli for comment about the reports, but he has not yet responded.
There had been interest from other clubs besides the Stormers, but it now seems likely that Pead will have no option but to remain at the Lions.
He recently represented the South Africa A team against Zimbabwe on June 20, but has struggled to secure consistent playing time at any level within the Lions’ setup.
In fact, he has logged merely 269 minutes in the United Rugby Championship and did not appear in the Currie Cup until the semi-final, translating to just over three matches out of a possible 26 with the senior squad.
In light of a pressing need for more on-field experience to nurture his aspirations of representing the Springboks, Pead finds himself in a challenging competition for the No.9 jersey in Johannesburg.
He is competing against Morné van den Berg, a regular in the national team setup, alongside Nico Steyn.
The Lions’ relationship with player agents has also been ‘rocky’ at best, and it appears the Lions were not willing to deal with Pead’s agent during critical parts of this negotiation.
Named Junior Springbok Player of the Year in 2025, Pead notably surpassed records previously held by international luminary Antoine Dupont.
With his roots in Bo-Kaap and his education at Bishops, coupled with family ties remaining in Cape Town, a move to the Stormers seemed logical, but the Lions weren’t willing to budge in negotiations.
For the development of a player who has been on the Springboks’ radar, it would be interesting to see if he will now get more game time in Johannesburg, now that the standoff is out in the open.
@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com
