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Sharks clarify player 'releases'

Cape Town - The Sharks have clarified confusion over a group of players that will not feature in their Super Rugby plans for 2016. 

Last week the union announced that Jaco van Tonder, JC Astle, Lionel Cronje, Marco Wentzel, Waylon Murray and Wiehan Hay had been released from their contract. 

But the union has since confirmed that, in fact, those players are still contracted to the Sharks but have been encouraged to seek employment elsewhere.

"Our wording of 'players having been released from their contracts' was factually incorrect," the Sharks said on their website.  

"In selecting a provisional pre-season training squad, difficult decisions needed to be made in order for us to move forward.

"Our coaching team had the uncomfortable task of re-looking at our current squad and sadly identified that the players mentioned would find it difficult to get regular game time in 2016 and keeping them would be unfair on their careers currently.

"This exercise was completed at this stage, to allow those players the opportunity to find alternate employment either locally or internationally.

"It is important to note that the players listed were not released from their contracts and are still under the employ of The Sharks. As such, they will be remunerated accordingly until alternate employment is secured."

The Sharks added that the players would continue to use facilities at the union until they moved on. 

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