Sharks hold onto Bok stars Mapimpi and Am after ‘transfer deadline day’
The Sharks managed to
hold onto their captain Lukhanyo Am and World Cup-winning partner Makazole
Mapimpi after what was a first-ever ‘transfer deadline day’ for South African
rugby.
Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, South African rugby players were given a new clause in their contracts last month that would allow them to cancel existing deals with local teams for offers abroad over a 21 day window.
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The transfer window ended on midnight on Thursday 14 May and a number of
franchises lost big-name players to overseas clubs.
Sharks CEO Eduard Coetzee spoke to East Coast Drive after deadline day and
confirmed that the only player that had activated their exit clause was flank
Tyler Paul who is understood to have accepted a deal with a Japanese club.
Coetzee also confirmed that they’d managed to hold onto a number of their big-name players including Am, Mapimpi, Curwin Bosch, Thomas du Toit, Reuben van
Heerden and young lock JJ van der Mescht. These players had piqued the interest
of foreign clubs.
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