Wee Daniels donated to Japan

Keegan Daniel to leave Sharks and play in JapanKeegan Daniel will play in Japan after the Super Rugby season

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The Sharks have announced that former captain Keegan Daniel leave the Sharks at the end of the 2014 Super Rugby season to join Kubota in Japan.

Having joined The Sharks Academy in 2004, Keegan went on to make his Sharks debut in 2006 against the Reds. With 199 caps to date for the Sharks, 59 of those as captain, he led the team to Currie Cup glory in 2013.

Keegan will always be regarded as an exceptional player who has served The Sharks with distinction over the years. He is a fierce competitor and someone that always boxed above his weight and led by example. His humble nature and never-say-die attitude are some of his greatest attributes and both the team and administrators alike will miss his steely determination and courage.

Commenting on his departure, The Sharks CEO, John Smit said, "Keegan has been an instrumental part of The Sharks for many years. His commitment to the jersey and to the franchise could never be questioned.

"We offered Keegan a long-term contract to stay in Durban, but he has decided that it was time in his career for a new challenge. We respect his decision and thank him for ten years of dedication and loyalty. We wish him the very best for this new and exciting chapter in his life. "

Keegan Daniel added,"I am eternally grateful to The Sharks for what they have done for my career. I have been at the union for ten years, experienced many highs, and have had the opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds and have built lasting friendships along the way. It is never an easy decision to make when the time comes to move on and ply your trade elsewhere.

"I am sad to leave a place that I have called home and will always respect what The Sharks jersey stands for. It was an honour to captain the team for a couple of seasons and I have enjoyed every single moment of my time here.

"I look forward to contributing to the team's aspirations during the Super Rugby tournament before I embark on a new journey that seeks to embrace a new culture and style of rugby. "

So far he has only had one bench appearance- this weekends match. To small to be a forward in South Africa especially given his fetcher skills are limited, and should have tried to be an inside centre.  
He should do well in Japan where power and weight are less important.
It appears that he is not part of Jake Whites plans. 
Given what a loyal slave he has been to Sharks rugby, he probably given the option to stay on but more as a Curry Cup fringe plyer. Probably not a co-incidence that his announcement has come at the same time as being named on the bench. 
They want him to leave with grace,  unlike the John Plumtree fiasco

 Keegan Daniel thank you for your years of great service to the Sharks and South African rugby in general.
You have always led front the front and proved many pundits wrong about your game.
Good luck in Japan and you will always be regarded as a "Shark" no matter where you play or what jersey you wear.
Thank you and may you be rewarded accordingly.

A gutsy player...I thought he was effective in the S15. But the idea that he should play for the Boks was a joke. .. ....nonetheless he was another player our Bok coaches simply had to pick.

 Sharkbok
With respect - as a real Shark supporter I would rather that Kankowski go back to Japan than Daniel leaving for Japan.
After Kankowski's last two appearances for the Sharks - the Japanese are more than welcome to take him off our team sheet.
If they take Kankowski back - we should plead with them and pay them to take Francois Steyn as well.   

"We offered Keegan a long-term contract to stay in Durban, but he has decided that it was time in his career for a new challenge."

i find this hard to believe, and if he was offere a long term contract, he was probably going to get paid in peanuts.

his decision is the right one, theres no room in joke whites plans for the former skipper, so he might as well go make some real money overseas.

i never thought he was Bok material, but he was a spXV level superstar, great player of his banana franchise.

i wonder if there was more to that "too many afrikaans in the sharks" then we know.
i find the timing a bit suspicious that in the aftermath of such comments, the capatin and one of the sharks best players in 2013 cannot even make the 23??? o_O
hmmmmmmmm, oh to be a fly on that wall.

but regardless, all the best to daniels as he now plays rugby in the cosplay capital in the world.