Rugby World Cup winner RG Snyman set for surprise Premiership switch – report
South Africa's RG Snyman celebrates after winning the Rugby World Cup 2023 final match at the Stade de France in Paris, France.
Rugby World Cup-winning second-row RG Snyman has reportedly agreed a deal with Premiership outfit Bath from next season.
Snyman’s current team, Munster, confirmed they would not be offering the gargantuan second-row a new deal at the club as they look to reduce non-Irish personnel in the squad.
Decisions
Added pressure in this regard came through Jean Kleyn’s nationality switch to South Africa after having played for Ireland in 2019. Ultimately Munster opted to keep the former Ireland international who signed a new deal with the side.
It was a fair decision for Munster to favour Kleyn, particularly after Snyman only played a handful of games over the last couple of years due to a horror of injuries including both ACLs. However, Snyman paid back the faith by powering the club to a United Rugby Championship title last season before he went on to win the World Cup.
A player of Snyman’s stature in the game was always going to draw a lot of attention from around the world with speculation suggesting a return to South Africa was on the cards.
RG Snyman is ‘on the verge’ of completing a move to Bath next season.
According to @JFPaturaud, he has accepted a deal worth £450,000 a season and will link up with ex-Munster boss Johann van Graan again. pic.twitter.com/iL4QCD05AE
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) December 2, 2023
Reuniting with a former coach
That seems not to be with L’Equipe reporting that the towering superstar has agreed a deal to join Bath for a grand total of £450,000 per year.
The move might seem to come out of the blue but would see Snyman reunite with Bath’s director of rugby Johann van Graan who was instrumental in bringing the Springbok to Munster in the first place.
Van Graan joined Bath from Munster at the beginning of last season and has been steadily improving the team through his game model and clever recruiting including Scottish fly-half Finn Russell.
The added physicality and offloading ability of Snyman would be massive for Bath’s progress under Van Graan and should it go through it would be an astute bit of business from the Premiership side.
READ MORE: ‘No place for mediocracy’ – Jacques Nienaber reveals reasons for Springboks departure
