Rugby Transfers: Two double World Cup winners decide future, Wiese tug-of-war looks to be won as forgotten Springbok nears Prem exit
Bongi Mbonambi (left) and Cobus Wiese (right) feature in the latest round-up of Rugby Transfers
The Sharks have tied down quartet Bongi Mbonambi, Vincent Koch, Matt Romao and Coetzee Le Roux to new deals, Cobus Wiese is closing in on a new deal with the Bulls and Saracens scrum-half Ivan van Zyl looks set to head to the Sharks.
Here is the latest rundown of transfers and contract signings from across South Africa.
Sharks tie down quartet to new deals
The Sharks will see Bongi Mbonambi, Vincent Koch, Matt Romao and Coetzee Le Roux don the black jersey for the foreseeable future, with the quartet penning new deals with the Durban side.
Double World Cup-winning Springbok front-rowers Mbonambi and Koch will remain with the club until the end of the 2027/2028 season after agreeing respective two-year deals, while Roamo will also stay at the club a further year after signing a contract through to the end of the 2028/29 campaign. Le Roux has also secured his future after signing a deal until the end of next season.
Hooker Mbonambi joined the Sharks ahead of the 2021/22 season and has since gone on to make 60 appearances for the club, helping them win the EPCR Challenge Cup along the way. Fellow Bok Koch, who also featured in the Challenge Cup-winning season, arrived in Durban from Stade Francais in 2023/24 and has tallied 34 appearances for the side in that time.
20-year-old back-rower Romao has enjoyed a strong breakthrough season with the Sharks this year after a strong campaign for the Junior Boks in their U20s World Cup win last season, and has made six appearances to date.
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Ex-Junior Bok Le Roux has yet to make his senior bow for the Sharks, but he impressed in the Green and Gold jersey during his U20s career.
Cobus Wiese closes in on new Bulls deal as tug-of-war looks to be won
Springbok forward Cobus Wiese looks set to remain with the Bulls, despite strong interest from the Stormers.
The towering forward, who is the brother of fellow Bok Jasper, joined the Pretoria-based side on an initial two-year deal last season, and was free to speak to clubs over a deal for next season.
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That tempted the Stormers to pursue a deal, with them likely losing Reuben van Heerden to Top 14 side Montpellier next year; however, according to South African publication Rapport, Wiese will remain with the Bulls after agreeing a three-year deal.
Wiese has quickly become a key man at Loftus Versfeld since joining the club from Sale Sharks, making 33 appearances in total. His form also saw him called into Rassie Erasmus’ Boks squad last year, earning two caps in their July homecoming series against Italy and Georgia.
Ivan van Zyl nearing Sharks switch
While the Sharks are busy on the retention front, they could be set to welcome a new face to the club next year in the form of Saracens scrum-half Ivan van Zyl, according to Rapport.
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The six-capped Springbok has been at the StoneX since the 2021/22 season, and has tallied 116 appearances for the club in that time. He has also captained the club.
However, there have been question marks over his future at the North London outfit following the addition of British and Irish Lions and Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams, as well as the emergence of 22-year-old hotshot Charlie Bracken.
That has seen him pursue a new opportunity back home in South Africa, with the Sharks set to use him to replace Japan-bound Grant Williams.
A switch back to South Africa would see the scrum-half play in his home country for the first time since leaving the Bulls, who he played for on 46 occasions between 2015 and 2021, and could even put him back in contention for the Boks, who he has not featured for since 2018.