Share

Will he stay or go? Confusion now reigns over Pieter-Steph's future

Up until Thursday night, Western Province were confident that 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit would stay at the union. 

Now, that seems far from certain. 

Register your interest for the British & Irish Lions tickets in South Africa 2021

Rumours started circling late on Thursday night that Du Toit was considering exercising the option to exit his current contract with the union in line with the 21-day window that ended at midnight that night. 

On Friday, as franchises around the country confirmed who they had lost, the Stormers were mum and could not confirm that Du Toit was still a Stormer. 

"We will make an announcement as soon as we are able. We're not going to confirm, deny or comment on anything until then," was the word from media liaison Mike de Vries. 

It was initially reported that Du Toit had received a mega offer from French club Montpellier, but the club has since distanced itself from that offer by saying that it has had no contact with Du Toit. 

Then, on Friday night, Netwerk24 reported that Du Toit had in fact handed in a request to leave the franchise on Thursday night - hours before the end of the contract window deadline.

Sport24 has since had that development confirmed, and it is understood that despite triggering his exit clause, Du Toit remains keen on staying at Newlands. 

His current contract with the union, because he exercised his option to exit, no longer stands, but if he can have a few items amended in the form of a new contract, then he is willing to stay.  

Also on Friday, speaking to the Daily Maverick, Du Toit's agent Gerrie Swart denied that his client was moving. 

"Pieter-Steph is staying at Western Province; there is just some paperwork to finalise and there may be one or two sticking points there," Swart said. 

The sudden interest from overseas clubs in South African players stemmed from a 21-day window that was agreed upon by the SA Rugby Industry, MyPlayers and the South African Rugby Employers' Organisation (Sareo) last month in which all professional players were given three weeks - until 14 May - to get out of their current contracts with their respective unions and sign on the dotted line with those big-spending UK, France and Japanese clubs in particular.

Du Toit is understood to have had clubs from Japan and France express interest. 

The Stormers are expected to make an official announcement later on Saturday. 

- Compiled by Lloyd Burnard

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE