SA rugby’s worst kept secret confirmed

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Cape Town - The worst kept secret in South African rugby has finally been confirmed.

Robert du Preez will leave Western Province and the Stormers to play for the Sharks next season.

Several news reports earlier in the year had linked the flyhalf with a move to Durban, where his dad Robert snr is the head coach and his brothers, Jean-Luc and Dan, also play.

The move was however never officially confirmed by either the Sharks or Western Province, until as much was made clear on Thursday.

Du Preez was instrumental in helping Western Province beat the Sharks in last Saturday’s Currie Cup final in Durban and this weekend he will be in action for the Barbarians against the All Blacks at Twickenham in London.

After that he will return to South Africa and head for Durban where he will start pre-season training with his new team.

The Sharks took to social media on Thursday, finally confirming Du Preez’s signing and welcoming him to Kings Park.

The Sharks start their 2018 Super Rugby campaign against the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday, February 17.

Du Preez will get a chance to face his former team when the Sharks host the Stormers in Durban on Saturday, April 21.

 

The Stormers’ home game against the Sharks is on Saturday, July 7.

 I think that there are various problems iro the Robert du Preez saga.   The obvious  fact is that WP and the Stormers are flat broke and mat be unable to equal the Sharks offer for the player.
The other part of the problem is that the Stormers regard Willemse and even Jean-Luc du Plessis as the future flyhalfs for them and they are therefore not over-enthusiastic to retain Du Preez.  The latter comment is based on what Dobson said about Willemse - as well as earlier comments iro Willemse  coming from the Stormers camp after a stellar Under 20 WC performance where he was much better than Bosch.
I have a feeling that Robert's father has reservations about Bosch's defense and that makes it very lightly that the Sharks may play Robert at flyhalf and Bosch at full back next year.         

 Sharks have made an excellent buy. Du Preez will out the flimsy Bosch. WP have blundered.