The following from News 24:-
"The Bulls on Tuesday confirmed that lock RG Snyman has signed a contract with Japanese club Honda Heat.
This follows the other big news that flyhalf Handre Pollard will depart for French club Montpellier at the end of the season and the two-year signing of Morne Steyn in his place.
Bulls CEO Alfons Meyer told Netwerk24 that Snyman will not be available for the Bulls in next year's Super Rugby competition.
The Bulls, however, hope to have him available for the 2021 season, with Meyer saying they were looking at negotiating a similar contract to what All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock has signed with New Zealand Rugby.
Whitelock's four year-year deal allows him to miss next year's Super Rugby competition to play for the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan.
"We're confident that RG will return in 2021," Meyer said.
Meanwhile, a Bulls spokesperson earlier confirmed to Sport 24 that they had signed Steyn, with Pollard to leave after this year's Rugby World Cup.
Next year, the Bulls will also be without centre Jesse Kriel, who has signed with the Canon Eagles in Japan, and locks Jason Jenkins and Lood de Jager, who both signed long-term deals with the Canon Eagles (Japan) and Sale Sharks (England) respectively."
It is not surprising that Pollard and De Jager got contracts in France and the UK respectively. With rare exceptions - and that happens only when a player is total ignored by the Springbok coach - top SA players do not really sign deals with Japanese clubs. They always prefer to go and play rugby in Europe as against playing in Japan. The fact that Snyman signed a Japanese club contract indicates that there was minimal interest in Europe to assign him up.
The Bulls are losing too many good players - but they do have the financial muscle to make good signings. However, the Morne Steyn issue clearly show they are on the wrong track. The next thing we will probably hear is that another French reject - Francois Steyn - may sign with the Bulls. Rumour has it that he is trying to get an SA contract - apparently Montpellier has signed up Pollard as a replacement for him and he cannot find another European Club to sign him. Seems to me that the Bulls could be an option in that case. Japan would not have Fatso - he will endanger their food supply system,
