Springboks double World Cup winner could cash in on big French move ahead of impending retirement
Springboks and Sharks winger Makazole Mapimpi is reportedly shortlisted as a target for French giants La Rochelle.
The 34-year-old speedster is in the twilight of his playing career and could cash in on one more big paycheck before hanging up his boots.
The double Rugby World Cup winner is understood to be in the final season of his contract with the Sharks and could make the jump to France at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Mapimpi on Ronan O’Gara’s radar
According to a report by Rugby Pass, La Rochelle director of rugby Ronan O’Gara has drawn up a shortlist of potential targets to replace ex-Springboks winger Raymond Rhule at the club.
Rhule played just twice for La Rochelle last season after sustaining an Achilles tendon injury and is yet to feature for the 2022 and 2023 Champions Cup winners this season.
With the ex-Bok’s La Rochelle contract expiring at the end of the season, O’Gara is reportedly weighing up his options which includes recruiting Mapimpi from the Sharks.
The report adds that “it’s by no means certain” that Mapimpi will head to France but that he is on O’Gara’s radar.
The experienced winger became the first South African player to score a try in a Rugby World Cup final, doing so in 2019 against England. In his 45 Tests for the Boks, he scored 30 tries which sees him sit fourth overall on the all-time scoring list for South Africa behind Bryan Habana, Joost van der Westhuizen, and Jaque Fourie.
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Mapimpi could join fellow Bok star Lukhanyo Am in leaving the Sharks at the end of the season with the double World Cup-winning midfielder also linked with a move away from the Durban-based franchise at the season.
The Sharks’ midfield options are well-stocked this campaign following the return of Andre Esterhuizen as well as the emergence of youngsters Jurenzo Julius and Ethan Hooker. Meanwhile, Ox Nche has also been linked with a move to France.
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Mapimpi joined the Sharks from the Cheetahs back in 2018 and while the winger has spent most his career in South Africa playing for the likes of Border and the Southern Kings as well, he did have a stint in Japan playing for the NTT Red Hurricanes.
While he is in the latter stages of his career, he has still proven to be a lethal finisher, crossing the whitewash four times for the Springboks in July including a hat-trick against Portugal.
He also scored six tries in the Sharks’ successful Challenge Cup campaign including a five-pointer in the victory over Gloucester in the final. Mapimpi also grabbed four tries for the Sharks in their successful Currie Cup campaign this year.