Planet Rugby

Bok fly-half to join Stade Français

15th January 2013 13:56

Morne Steyn hugging Bryan Habana for Springboks

See you in France: Steyn is set to join Habana in the Top14

Springbok fly-half Morne Steyn is set to sign to join Paris club Stade Français after the 2013 Super Rugby season.

Although no statement has been made, a Bulls source told AFP that Steyn would head for France after the August finish of the southern hemisphere provincial championship, a couple of months before his contract ends.

Steyn's agent Johan van Greune has confirmed that the 42-Test cap Bulls pivot is set to move to France but insisted his international career is not yet over

"Morné has spoken to (Springbok coach) Heyneke (Meyer), they have discussed this. Obviously it is difficult to make commitments from Heyneke's side. That's one of the reasons he chose to go to France. It does open the door for him to play for the Springboks in the future," Van Greune told Eyewitness News Sport .

"There is a deal on the table and we're waiting for final paper work. The final decision to move to Stade Français has also not been taken by Morné. His contract to play for the Bulls is until the end of this year.

"We're waiting for a pre-contract from Stade Français, and then I need approval from the Bulls so that he can leave after Super Rugby, because obviously his contract is until the end of October. So, there are still a few things to be done before there's an actual contract signed.

"Obviously Morné's not getting younger, so he's decided to take on a new challenge, and the new challenge is playing overseas," he added.

Stade Français have been champions of France 13 times but have fallen on hard times in recent years. They are currently in the lower half of the current Top 14 championship table with seven wins and seven losses from 15 games, have three South Africans on their books in hooker Michael van Vuuren and locks Gerhard Mostert and Anton van Zyl.

28-year-old Steyn suffered a dramatic slump in his place-kicking success rate last season and this, combined with media criticism of unimaginative play, led to Johan Goosen and later Patrick Lambie replacing him in the playmaker role.

Steyn, who has scored 1,201 points for the Bulls in 106 Super matches and 486 points in 42 Tests, became a South African star in 2009 when he landed a penalty from halfway to win the 2009 Test series against the British and Irish Lions.

Springbok and Stormers left wing Bryan Habana ended months of speculation by announcing last Friday that he had signed a three-year deal with 2012 Top 14 runners-up Toulon. Former Bok skipper John Smit has reportedly also signed for Toulon.

Comments

Stellenbosched2 says...

Hi looseheadcannon,

Naas Botha did exactly that about 20 years ago.

Posted 14:19 16th January 2013

looseheadcannon says...

@trinats2 I think it's only a matter of time before a rugby kicker goes to the NFL. They could kick field goals and extra points from bang in front all day long,and rarely if ever need to tackle. 1 or 2 years at the league minimum would be a nice payday at the end of anyone's career.

Posted 13:21 16th January 2013

ruggaluva says...

Hopefully this precludes him from Springbok duty for awhile......

Posted 11:00 16th January 2013

turboboy says...

TVADDICT - did you mean to write "With his style of pay.." Morne cashing in and rightly so IMO

Posted 23:55 15th January 2013

damo says...

Talented and underrated player - kicks the leather off the ball and can run plays as he is asked, would love to see him be a success in France, Goosen et al should count themselves lucky he isn't in the picture

Posted 22:53 15th January 2013

Lucasrg says...

Must be the affinity with the funky pink jersey!

Posted 22:38 15th January 2013

trinats2 says...

Rumours have it he is off to American football as a specialist kicker, or it could be just Stade Francais !

Posted 21:47 15th January 2013

carpelone says...

When he will play against Toulon, what about having a braai with some old good friends at the French Riviera?

I was born 10 years too early.

Posted 20:14 15th January 2013

darthbok says...

poor old morne -- sulking - the french top 14 is looking more and more like an old boys reunion -- my springbok vs yours -- I think we need to get freddie michelak back is SA

Posted 15:30 15th January 2013

TVaddict says...

Makes sense. He's not the popular choice at flyhalf for the springboks any more so why not go abroad and get his retirement fund sorted. With his style of pay a lot of French clubs will want him. This does add to the pressure on the French to develop a decent 10 with so many foreign stars dominating the position at club level.

Posted 15:00 15th January 2013

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