Alan Solomons has lured former IRB Junior World Championship-winning Baby Bok prop Allan Dell to Edinburgh.
Educated at Queens College in Eastern Cape, the promising young prop, who can play on both sides of the scrum, qualifies for Scotland through his grandmother, Joan Carmichael, who was born in Paisley and brought up in Edinburgh.
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He has made 13 senior appearances in the Vodacom and Currie Cup competitions for the Sharks alongside his selection for South Africa Schools and every South Africa age-grade en route to lifting the IRB Junior World Championship trophy with the Under-20 side in 2012.
Dell, who is expected to arrive in the coming weeks and will be immediately available for selection until 2016, said: “I’m really excited to get to Scotland and start the next chapter of my career.
“It’s a very exciting time at the club, who are building a good brand of rugby, so it’s great to be part of that.
“The whole opportunity is fantastic. Alan Solomons is an excellent coach so it’s great to get the chance to work under him, compete for the chance to play for the club and, longer-term, for the chance to represent Scotland.
“I can’t wait to get out there and start performing.”
Solomons said: “Allan is an outstanding talent. He is a good footballer, is very mobile, has good skills and a fantastic work rate.”
Solomons also signed prop Simon Berghan and utility back Nick McLennan, who will arrive in June on deals to 2015 and 2016 respectively
Born in Christchurch New Zealand, 23-year-old Berghan – who can play on both sides of the scrum but has a preference for the tighthead side – progressed from Shirley Boys High School to local club Sydenham, who he has captained for the past two seasons.
He earned selection for the provincial Canterbury Academy, B team and Crusader Knights, the development squad of the Super Rugby giants, before securing his one-year chance to prove himself in the capital.
He is eligible to represent Scotland through his grandfather, Andrew Davidson, from Stirling.
Berghan said: “I’m delighted to get an opportunity to prove myself at this level.
“It’s a professional contract at a great club that I just couldn’t say no to. Everything I’ve heard about the club and city has been good so I can’t wait to get out there, have a crack at it and put my hand up.
“I’ve enjoyed the leadership role I’ve had here as club captain but when I arrive in Edinburgh my priority is just to get my head down and start grafting.
“That’s how I like it. The ball’s in my court and it’s up to me to impress.”
Versatile back McLennan started his rugby development at Waitaki Boys’ High School and North Otago, before his induction into the Crusaders development squad in 2010.
Born in New Zealand, Nick qualifies for Scotland through his grandmother, Jean, from Balmoral and his grandfather Alexander McLennan, who was from Dunblain and served with the Gordon Highlanders.
Equally adept at flyhalf, centre and fullback, McLennan was the Canterbury Colts Player of the year in 2010 and, most recently, featured in the NPC for Hawke’s Bay.
The Lincoln University graduate was a constant feature in the New Zealand Universities XV during his undergraduate years and, after a short spell at Russian club Krasny Yar, is looking forward to plying his trade in Scotland.
He said: “I’m really excited to get this opportunity and can’t wait to get stuck in. June can’t come quickly enough.
“It’s a really proud moment for me and my family given my heritage. Having strong links with Scotland definitely made the move even more appealing, while the competitions the club plays in are world class. Being involved in that will be something special.
“I just want to get out there, get as much game time as possible and push for a starting spot, but I’m not getting ahead of myself, there’s a lot of work to do.”
Solomons said: “Simon is primarily a tighthead who has played for the Canterbury province in New Zealand’s rugby heartland.
“He’s a big strong boy who has every prospect of cutting it at a higher level.
“Finally, Nick is a guy who has played a lot of NPC rugby. He is a good footballer who is versatile, being equally at home at flyhalf, fullback and wing.”
And so the drain continues.
When one really delves into the Rugby drain it is actually more alarming than it first appears.
Coventry, effectively a 3rd division English club have recently signed Leopards 29 year old lock Roan van Heerden on a 2 year contract.
Admittedly, van Heerden had previously spent 5 years in the British Army, and was returning to the UK to study further, but none the less, a South African Provincial lock has now chosen English SEMI-PROFESSIONAL 3rd tier Rugby over the Vodacom Cup / Currie Cup.
Coventry also have on their books one Jacques Le Roux. Now I wonder what is this players history.
Admittedly, le Roux now plays international Rugby for Portugal, but was born in Cape Town and previously played for Pretoria Police.
This is in all likelihood a microcosm of the full picture.
I also know of a youngster playing Semi-Pro Rugby in Lancashire who NEVER even played Provincial senior Rugby, but was offered a contract, along with a job and a work permit straight out of school.
Our Rugby resources are being plundered, and the likes of SARU either cannot or do not want to put any control measures in place.
This happens to the Freestate every year.
Interesting Mr Solomons making 3 signings all of which can play for Scotland as soon as they start playing here if good enough. Good to be building the tighthead depth but all this bringing players from outside is alienating folk here at a time Scottish rugby needs all the support it can get. Bit behind the news here been away from it all for few days.
Am thinking Carl Bezuidenhout’s short term trial period will probably be all he gets at Edinburgh so would guess he will be back in SA for the Currie Cup, the signing of McKlennan surely must be a sign of this. Wonder what the deal was with the Pumas when he left, will he be able to go back to them?
2 @ Scrumdown:
Problem is Scrumdown what controls would you suggest SARU introduce to change this. Some are not happy that players not playing in SA are picked for the Boks but even if you stopped this your example shows that the few that are picked for the Boks are merely the tip of the iceberg as there are countless others at lower levels that have moved across. The main way I see for SA is to work harder at broadening the player and fan base inside South Africa, throughout the ages people have migrated so don’t think SARU has it within its powers to ‘control’ this but by increasing numbers of those involved with the country you will surely by sheer volume have more than enough players to choose from. SA population is more than 10 times that of Scotland as an example of difference in volume.
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