Cheetahs confirm Le Roux departure
The Sharks have lured another senior Cheetahs player to Durban for the 2016 season.
Springbok fullback Willie le Roux is, officially, their next big-name signing for 2016.
The announcement comes in the wake of the recent announcement that Bok loose forward Jacques Potgieter will move from the Waratahs to the Durban-based franchise next year.
Free State Cheetahs (Pty) Limited, in a statement issued to rugby365, confirmed that the 25-year-old Bok fullback, Le Roux will depart Bloemfontein after three years and 56 Super Rugby games with the franchise.
"At the conclusion of his Springbok obligations [after the World Cup] he will head to Japan for three months," the Cheetahs said, adding: "After which he will become a Shark."
Sharks CEO John Smit, in also confirming the deal, described it as an "excellent acquisition".
"He is a game-breaker, who has shown on numerous occasions his class and ability to turn defence into attack," Smit said in a statement.
"He will certainly strengthen and add great value to our backline.
"We are delighted that he has accepted our offer to ply his trade in Durban and look forward to welcoming him to the Sharks family."
Le Roux, who has missed a substantial part of the season with an ankle injury, has made just six appearances for the Cheetahs this season.
The Cheetahs' new coaching panel – under the leadership of Varsity Cup-winning coach Franco Smith – are hopeful that he will be available for the two remaining matches of the season.
The Cheetahs face the Waratahs in Bloemfontein this coming Saturday and the Bulls in Pretoria a week later.
The Cheetahs also confirmed that he will not feature in any Currie Cup matches, as a result of his Bok commitments and the upcoming World Cup.
"Willie has always been a good ambassador for the Cheetahs and the Bok team," the Cheetahs said, adding: "We wish him well for the future."
The franchise said they are confident about the quality of the fullbacks that will remain behind to fill the vacancy left by Le Roux's departure.
It has also been revealed the Springbok wing Cornal Hendricks has requested permission to "negotiate" with other franchises.
Free State Cheetahs (Pty) Limited has granted permission, but there is no indication where he is heading.
The Lions, Bulls and Sharks were among the teams linked to his negotiations, although he is a native of Wellington in the Western Cape, where he attended Bergrivier High School – before making his first-class debut for the Boland Cavaliers in 2008. He played 68 games for the Cavaliers, becoming a Sevens Bok in 2012 – before moving to the Cheetahs in 2013.
The signing of Le Roux is a timely dosage of good news for the Sharks, in the wake of the recent media melee over the departure of three senior Springboks – Willem Alberts, along with the Du Plessis brothers Jannie and Bismarck.
Alberts has been linked to French club Stade Francais, although some of the finer details of the agreement as not been resolved.
The Du Plessis brothers are said to be moving to French club Montpellier.
However, as is the case in the Alberts saga, some of the speculation – where media licence was used rather liberally – not all the facts are accurate.
In the instance of the brothers the reported "deposits" €150 000 per player paid by the French club is completely untrue.
The factual details about their respective futures will be revealed in the weeks to come, but it is clear there are ongoing negotiations – soon to be completed.
By Jan de Koning
@King365ed
@rugby365com
