Cape Town – Cheslin Kolbe will be leaving for Toulouse at the end of the Super Rugby season, but at least some familiar names will remain etched in blue-and-white for a while.
WP Rugby Group CEO, Paul Zacks, confirmed on Thursday that the union had secured the signatures of various players, ranging from junior talent to senior stalwarts, who have extended their existing contracts with the union.
This comes at a good time for Province, after a number of key players, including Scottish international Huw Jones, were reported to be looking abroad to further their rugby.
Stormers and Bok hooker Bongi Mbonambi was one of the crucial players who committed their future to the union as he signed a three-year contract. Jean-Luc du Plessis, Dan du Plessis, EW Viljoen, Grant Hermanus, Justin Phillips and Brandon Thomson all agreed to long-term contracts, while forwards Chad Solomon, JD Schickerling and Kobus van Dyk also added their names to that list.
WP captain Chris van Zyl, U21 captain Luke Stringer, utility forward Jurie van Vuuren, centre Ryan Oosthuizen and flyhalf Ernst Stapelberg also extended their contracts.
Zacks said that the commitment of the players was encouraging and that player retention is important for the growth of the union.
The junior players who signed on included Junior Springboks Eduard Zandberg, Cobus Wiese, Reuben de Villiers and Edwill van der Merwe and David Brits, who have all signed five-year contracts, while WP also held on to Junior Springbok star and new Sevens recruit Zain Davids.