Skeate hops on the Toulon bandwagon
July 16 2008
Western Province are facing a locking crises with confirmation that second row forward Ross Skeate has joined the South African exodus overseas and signed for Toulon.
Skeate will join former Western Province team-mates Tiaan Liebenberg (hooker) and 25-year-old lock Francois van der Merwe who recently signed with the Tana Umaga coached side citing a lack of regular first team action with the Cape Town-based outfit.
Skeate, a quality young lock who would not be out of place with the Springboks, has taken up a one-year deal with Toulon, with the option to stay on for another two years.
He has told reporters that he considers himself a big traveler, and while he has always been a Western Province man, in terms of his life and career choices, it was the right move for him to make.
The Western Province vice-captain, who says he hopes to return to South Africa as a more complete player who has expanded his horizons, will play out the Currie Cup season before moving to France.
Meanwhile, the rumours of another South African signing for the recently promoted Top 14 side in the form of current Springbok Joe van Niekerk, has all but been confirmed by his Lions coach Eugene "Loffie" Eloff.
Eloff was the man behind reviving Van Niekerk's career with the Super 14 franchise when the out-of-form Springbok failed to crack former South Africa coach Jake White's squad in 2007.
The former Stormers player's previous attempt of leaving South Africa for greener pastures overseas was halted by Northampton Saints last year following the club's refusal to sign the Bok number eight after he failed a medical examination.
Without a franchise to play for, Eloff brought in Van Niekerk from the cold to where it all started for the 28-year-old at the Lions and has since fought his way back into the Bok starting line-up in an amazing comeback to Test rugby.
But now it appears Van Niekerk is repaying Eloff by leaving the club once again to further his career in France.
"Joe did inform me that, because he was not offered a Springbok contract, he wanted to go play overseas," Eloff told rugby365.
"So there could well be a measure of truth in that report.
"I don't know if anything has been officially agreed, but I know that Toulon did speak to him.
"It would probably be sorted out after the Tri-Nations."