Pieter-Steph du Toit
The Cell C Sharks appear to be winning the battle to retain the services of Cape bred Pieter-Steph du Toit, who has told Durban media that he is committed to the union that he says gave him his big break in rugby.
It has been an open secret for a while now that the Springbok lock, currently out injured, was in negotiations with the DHL Stormers. Until quite recently the Western Province union appeared to be winning the battle, with informed sources confirming that Du Toit, who is from Swartland farming stock, was nearly certain to make the move down the coast next season.
However, it is understood that the Sharks then fought quite hard with counter-offers and promises that a concerted effort will be made to get the structures in Durban rugby right, and in an interview with the Natal Mercury on Monday the lock said that while he couldn’t say what would happen in the longer term, he was committed to the Sharks for now.
Du Toit has been out injured for most of the past 2 seasons and appears to feel beholden to the patience and resources that the Sharks have committed to his medical rehabilitation.
“I have a debt to pay to a franchise that welcomed me with open arms when I was a nobody out of school, and then have stuck by me for 2 years when I was mostly injured,” said Du Toit.
“I need to honour that debt and I want to.”
Du Toit has played just 7 Super Rugby games in 2 years due to a serious knee injury that 1st forced him out of the whole of last season and then threatened to rule him out of the rest of 2015, thus ruling him out of the World Cup in England in September and October, before another diagnosis changed that landscape.
Although Du Toit won’t play again in Super Rugby this year, he has said he is ready to make his return to the field within the next 2 months, and will be available for the Springboks’ international commitments this year.
“I am in Durban doing my rehab and have been blessed that the injury is not as bad as it was last year, and there is a lifeline for me to the Springboks. And that will be with the Sharks in the early Rounds of the Currie Cup, and the plan is that I will play for a Bok team against a World XV. In the meantime I owe the Sharks for their loyalty in sticking by me through my injuries.”
SuperSport
I don’t like the undertones of this article, which seems to indicate he’s already been promised a Springbok game against the World XV.
We simply do not know what his form will be after 2 years and whether he would be game fit and fully over his injuries.
He is injury-prone and I feel he has to prove himself 1st!!
“I need to honour that debt and I want to.”
Respect.
I don’t know if I buy the ” I need to honour that debt” story.
If that is so, why was he then even “in negotiations” with the Stormers who according to the article were “winning the battle ” for his signature at a time?
It is most likely more about the sizes of the offers than debts to be honored.
I also don’t know why the Stormers were prepared to pay for an injury prone lock when they really need to spend big money on finding a decent flyhalf.
He’s should have been introduced to Super rugby only this year
Youngsters must develop by first playing in a different league for the first two years of their professional career, it will curtail injuries as well
The Bulls did it the right way with Pollard
robzim wrote:
Social propaganda, this statement was probably part of his agreement with the shaarks for the publicity.
I dont believe that its sincere for even a second, though i still want to believe that it is.
For all we know he got tired of Province hucking him from day one when he left the Cape.
Then when he got injured it was, “We’ll pay all your medical costs, bladhi, bladhi blah” until he got sick of it & spoke to his bosses.
Besides, Province aren’t exactly setting the lineout world alight as their No 1 Lock is also unluckily quite a sick note.
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