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Cape Town - Springbok utility back Frans Steyn looks set to join French side Montpellier in the Top 14 after this year’s Rugby World Cup.
Montpellier are coached by former Springbok coach Jake White, who has lured several South Africans to the club for the 2015/16 season.
Steyn made his Springbok debut against Ireland in Dublin in 2006 when White was still the national team's coach.
Steyn has vast experience of playing in the Top 14, having previously represented Racing Metro between 2009 and 2012.
It is still unsure if Steyn will form part of Heyneke Meyer’s final 31-man World Cup squad, which is due to be announced next Friday.
Major comings and goings ahead of new French Top 14 season which gets underway on Friday (SA players in bold) - via AFP:
Agen
Ins: Ruaan Du Preez (RSA/Oyonnax), Dave Ryan (IRL/Ulster), Tom Murday (AUS/Northland), Api Naikatini (FIJ/Wellington Lions), Bautista Guemes (ARG/Benetton Treviso/ITA), Eroni Narumasa (FIJ/Nadroga), Johann Sadie (RSA/Cheetahs), George Tilsley (NZL/Wellington Lions), Tom Murday (AUS/Reds)
Outs: Aidan Toua (AUS/Brumbies)
Bordeaux-Begles
Ins: Emile Ntamack (backs coach), Loann Goujon (La Rochelle), Luke Braid (NZL/Blues), Adam Ashley-Cooper (AUS/Waratahs), Jean-Marcellin Buttin (Clermont), Sekope Kepu (AUS/Waratahs), Steven Kitshoff (RSA/Stormers)
Outs: Taiasina Tuifua (SAM/Lyon), Matthew Graham (NZL), Zaza Navrozashvili (GEO/Lyon), Benjamin Sa (NZL/retired), Ben Venter (RSA/Montauban), Jayden Spence (NZL/Highlanders), Ulrich Beyers (RSA/Zebre)
Brive
Ins: Saimone Taumoepeau (SAM/Castres), Johan Snyman (RSA/Scarlets), William Whetton (NZL/Castres), Wilhelm Steenkamp (RSA/Western Force)
Outs: Pat Barnard (RSA/retired), Johannes Coetzee (RSA), Tjiuee Uanivi (NAM/Worcester/ENG), Kieran Murphy (IRL/London Welsh), Riaan Swanepoel (RSA/Aix-en-Provence), Venione Voretamaya (FIJ/Colomiers)
Castres
Ins: Antoine Tichit (Oyonnax), Benjamin Urdapilleta (ARG/Oyonnax), David Smith (NZL/Toulon), Rudi Wulf (NZL/Toulon), Alex Tulou (NZL/Montpellier), Eric Sione (NZL/Hurricanes), Lucas Martinez (ARG/Lomas Club)
Outs: Remi Tales (Racing Metro), Paea Fa'anunu (NZL/Grenoble), Saimone Taumoepeau (TGA/Brive), Jannie Bornman (RSA/Aix-en-Provence), Max Evans (SCO/end of contract), William Whetton (NZL/Brive), Marcel Garvey (ENG/retired)
Clermont
Ins: Iuri Natriashvili (GEO/Tulle), Flip Van Der Merwe (RSA/Bulls), Camille Gerondeau (Racing Metro), Albert Vulivuli (FIJ/La Rochelle), Hosea Gear (NZL/Chiefs), Adrien Plante (Racing Metro), David Strettle (ENG/Saracens), Scott Spedding (RSA/Bayonne).
Outs: Ti'i Paulo (SAM/Lyon), Julien Pierre (Pau), Julien Bonnaire (Lyon), Mike Delany (NZL/Newcastle), Zac Guilford (NZL/Hawke's Bay), Julien Malzieu (Montpellier), Napolioni Nalaga (FIJ/Lyon), Jean-Marcellin Buttin (Bordeaux Begles).
Grenoble
Ins: Fabrice Estebanez (Lyon), Steven Setephano (NZL/Osaka), Alisona Taumalolo (TGA/Racing Metro), James Percival (ENG/Worcester)
Outs: Ross Skeate (RSA/Aix-en-Provence), Paul Willemse (RSA/Montpellier), Jono Owen (NZL/end of contract), Valentin Courrent (retired), Julien Caminati (Toulon), Albertus Buckle (RSA/Lyon/Pro D2), Naude Beukes (RSA/retired)
La Rochelle
Ins: David Roumieu (Bayonne), Ricky Januarie (RSA/Lyon), Zack Holmes (AUS/Western Force), David Raikuna (NZL/North Harbour), Benjamin Lapeyre (Racing Metro)
Outs: Rassie Van Vuuren (RSA/Bayonne), Cobus Grobler (RSA/retired), Loann Goujon (Bordeaux-Begles), Sireli Bobo (FIJ/Toulon), Peter Grant (RSA/Western Force), Albert Vuli Vuli (FIJ/Clermont), Gonzalo Canale (ITA/retired)
Montpellier
Ins: Jannie Du Plessis (RSA/Sharks), Bismarck Du Plessis (RSA/Sharks), Schalk Van der Merwe (RSA/Lions), Paul Willemse (RSA/Grenoble), Jacques Du Plessis (RSA/Bulls), Wiaan Liebenberg (RSA/Bulls), Pierre Spies (RSA/Bulls), Nic White (AUS/Brumbies), Cameron Wright (RSA/Sharks), Demetri Catrakilis (RSA/Stormers), Julien Malzieu (Clermont), Marvin O'Connor (Bayonne), Seveci Nakailagi (FIJ), Frans Steyn (RSA/Sharks), Jessie Mogg (AUS/Brumbies), Abdelatif Benazzi (manager), Craig Burden (RSA/Toulon), Bees Roux (RSA/Cheetahs), Andrew Smith (AUS/Munster), Jacobie Adriaanse (RSA/Scarlets), CJ Van Der Linde (RSA/Eastern Province Kings).
Outs: David Attoub (Lyon), Rene Ranger (NZL/Auckland Blues), Wynand Olivier (RSA/end of contract), Jonathan Pelissie (Toulon), Alex Tulou (SAM/Castres), Maximiliano Bustos (ARG/retired), Na'ama Leleimalefaga (SAM/Worcester), Chris King (NZL/Pau)
Oyonnax
Ins: Uwanakoro Tawalo (FIJ/Clermont), Fetu'u Vainikolo (TGA/Exeter), Eamonn Sheridan (IRL/London Irish), Nicky Robinson (WAL/Bristol), Piri Weepu (NZL/Wasps), George Robson (ENG/Harlequins), Stan Wright (NZL/Narbonne).
Outs: Christophe Urios (Castres/coach), Augustin Figuerola (ARG/Lyon), Benjamin Urdapilleta (ARG/Castres), Ruann Du Preez (RSA/Agen), Johnny Ngauamo (TGA/Mont-de-Marsan), Alexander Luatua (NZL/Aurillac), Hemani Paea (TGA/Lyon).
Pau
Ins: Mosese Ratuvou (FIJ/Lyon), Watisoni Votu (FIJ/Perpignan), Conrad Smith (NZL/Hurricanes), Colin Slade (NZL/Crusaders), Santiago Fernandez (ARG/Bayonne), Sean Dougall (IRL/Munster), Paddy Butler (IRL/Munster), Julien Pierre (Clermont), Euan Murray (SCO/Glasgow), Chris King (NZL/Montpellier).
Racing-Metro
Ins: Manuel Carizza (ARG/Stormers), Dan Carter (NZL/Crusaders), Martin Castrogiovanni (ITA/Toulon), Ross Filipo (NZL/Chiefs), Chris Masoe (NZL/Toulon), Nicolas Mirande (ARG/Tucuman), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Remi Tales (Castres), Joe Rokocoko (NZL/Bayonne), Ben Tameifuna (NZL/Chiefs), Armand van der Merwe (RSA/Lions)
Outs: Jacques Cronje (RSA/retired), Benjamin Lapeyre (La Rochelle), Tomas Lavanini (ARG/Argentinian side for Super Rugby), Dan Lydiate (WAL/Ospreys), Brian Mujati (RSA/Sale/ENG), Adrien Plante (Clermont), Jamie Roberts (WAL/Harlequins), Jonathan Sexton (IRL/Leinster), Alisona Taumalolo (TGA/Grenoble)
Stade Francais
Ins: Willem Alberts (RSA/Sharks), Paul Alo-Emile (AUS/Rebels), Will Genia (AUS/Reds), Avenisi Vasuinubu (FIJ/Colomiers)
Outs: Jerome Fillol (retired), Krisnan Inu (NZL/Catalans Dragons - rugby league), Digby Ioane (AUS/Honda Heat), Monty Ioane (AUS/end of contract), Richard Kingi (AUS/end of contract), Juan Cruz Guillemain (ARG/Argentinian side for Super Rugby, David Lyons (AUS/end of contract), Pierre Rabadan (retired)
Toulon
Ins: Diego Dominguez (ARG/manager), Salesi Ma'afu (AUS/Northampton), Matt Stevens (ENG/Sharks), Paul O'Connell (IRL/Munster), Samu Manoa (USA/Northampton), Duane Vermeulen (RSA/Stormers), Jonathan Pelissie (Montpellier), Ma'a Nonu (NZL/Hurricanes), Mitchell Inman (AUS/Rebels), Sireli Bobo (FIJ/La Rochelle), James O'Connor (AUS/Reds), Lachie Turner (AUS/Reds).
Outs: Martin Castrogiovanni (ITA/Racing Metro), Carl Hayman (NZL/retired), Craig Burden (RSA/Montpellier), Bakkies Botha (RSA/retired), Ali Williams (NZL/retired), Chris Masoe (NZL/Racing Metro), Michael Claassens (RSA/Sharks), Juan Martin Hernandez (ARG/Argentinian side in Super Rugby), Rudi Wulf (NZL/Castres), David Smith (NZL/Castres).
Toulouse
Ins: David Mele (Leicester/ENG), Gert Muller (RSA/Bayonne), Semi Kunatani (FIJ), Tomas Leonardi (ARG/Edinburgh), Talalelei Gray (AUS/Waratahs)
Outs: Guy Noves (France/coach) Yannick Nyanga (Racing Metro), Shalk Ferreira (RSA/Eastern Province Kings), Jano Vermaak (RSA/Stormers), Chiliboy Ralepelle (RSA/end of contract)
