Top 14 hopefuls Brive are ramping up their recruitment ahead of next season and have reportedly completed the signing of a South African lock.
Earlier this year the French club announced that former Sharks CEO Eduard Coetzee would become the new managing director of the team and it looks like the club will be adding more South Africans to their ranks.
Irné Herbst off to France
According to a report by Midi Olympique, Brive have signed South African lock Irné Herbst from Premiership club Harlequins with the second-rower signing a two-year deal with the team.
The news comes after a host of re-signings at Quins including that of fellow countryman Stephan Lewies, who has extended his contract to stay at the Stoop. The Springboks lock relinquished the club captaincy ahead of this season but still remains a key cog in Harlequins’ pack racking up over 70 appearances.
However, Quins look set to lose Herbst to Brive after a successful stint at the Stoop having played over 50 times for the side since making the move from Benetton.
If the second-rower does join the French club he will link up with fellow South Africans Curwin Bosch, Marcel van der Merwe and Retief Marais.
Bosch joined the club at the start of the season from the Sharks and has had an immediate impact, starting eight of the opening 12 games of their campaign with another appearance off the bench. The Springboks fly-half has also scored 61 points, helping Brive into second place on the Pro D2 table after 12 matches just three points adrift of league leaders Grenoble.
Tighthead prop and fellow Bok, Van der Merwe, recently signed a contract extension with the team while the ambitious club is also looking to add more star power ahead of next season beyond Herbst.
Brive secured the services of ex-England captain Courtney Lawes from Northampton Saints ahead of this season and look set to add more experienced heads with former France prop Jefferson Poirot on their radar. Former Fijian sevens star Asaeli Tuivuaka has reportedly signed a two-year extension with the club as well.
The report adds that the signing of Herbst will be followed by several further additions to the squad as the Top 14 hopefuls continue to be particularly aggressive on the transfer market.
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/french-club-add-south-african-lock-to-their-ranks-after-signing-springboks-fly-half-report
