{"id":1088546,"date":"2026-07-14T11:24:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T11:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1088546\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T11:24:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T11:24:16","slug":"rugby-transfers-sharks-fend-off-overseas-interest-for-boks-hopeful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1088546\/","title":{"rendered":"Rugby Transfers: Sharks fend off overseas interest for Boks hopeful"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Sharks have beaten out rivals to sign a Springboks hopeful, the Blues have added a former Junior All Black to their roster for 2027 and two PREM clubs have turned to the CHAMP for reinforcements.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are all the latest rugby rumours, transfers<\/a> and contract renewals.<\/p>\n

Sharks add Springboks hopeful amid PREM interest<\/p>\n

The Sharks have acted quickly to sign Lions powerhouse Darrien Landsberg for the upcoming United Rugby Championship (URC) season.<\/p>\n

His move to Durban comes amid reported interest from PREM Rugby outfit Exeter Chiefs, who are set to undergo a major recruitment drive following a high-profile takeover from Black Knight Rugby.<\/p>\n

Landsberg has steadily become a key man for the Lions since joining the club in 2022, following a stint with the Pumas, making 57 appearances in all competitions while scoring one try. He also helped the Johannesburg-based side reach the URC play-offs for the first time this season.<\/p>\n

The Zimbabwe-native\u2019s decision to continue to play in South Africa comes amid his own personal hopes of playing for the Springboks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be completely honest, until Rassie (Erasmus) tells me that the door is completely closed, I can\u2019t allow myself to believe that it is,\u201d Landsberg told Rugby365<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve played with these guys in the South African system since high school, so it\u2019s not like I\u2019m far off. When I look at myself in the mirror every day, I know that I can be a Springbok and I will be a Springbok.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of what South African rugby means, I want to give myself the opportunity of saying I believe I\u2019m the best, so why not try to be with the best?<\/p>\n

England forward slammed for \u2018disgusting dog shot\u2019 as headbutt on Junior Springboks \u2018single-handedly\u2019 ruins title-bid<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIf that point comes where Rassie tells me the door is closed, then by all means it would be an honour to represent Zimbabwe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blues snap up Highlanders man for 2027<\/p>\n

The Blues<\/a> have secured the services of Highlanders fly-half Cam Millar on a two-year contract, ahead of the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old back has spent the entirety of his professional career within the Highlanders system, making 34 Super Rugby appearances for the club alongside 39 appearances for Otago in the NPC, but will now head to Auckland to continue his career.<\/p>\n

Commenting on his move to the Highlanders, Millar said: \u201cI\u2019m incredibly grateful for everything the Highlanders and the Otago rugby community have done for me over the past few years. They\u2019ve played a huge role in my development, and I\u2019ll always appreciate the opportunities I was given there.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe chance to join the Blues is one I\u2019m really excited about. There are quality players and coaches throughout the club, and I\u2019m looking forward to learning from them and doing everything I can to contribute to the team\u2019s success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n

Blues general manager of rugby, Murray Williams, added: \u201cCam is a talented player who has continued to improve every season and has shown composure whenever he\u2019s been given opportunities at Super Rugby level.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has an excellent kicking game, manages matches well and understands how to control the tempo of a game. Those qualities are difficult to teach, particularly in a young playmaker.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pleased Cam has chosen to join the Blues and we\u2019re looking forward to welcoming him to Auckland ahead of the 2027 season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alongside his Super Rugby and NPC experience, Millar has also represented the Junior All Blacks, making three appearances for them during the 2021 Oceania U20 Championship.<\/p>\n

Gloucester strengthen front-row depth<\/p>\n

PREM outfit Gloucester have further strengthened their squad for next season, signing Coventry tighthead Elliot Salt.<\/p>\n

The prop forward, 26, was a consistent member of the Coventry side in his time there, making 69 appearances over the past few seasons.<\/p>\n

Commenting on the addition of Salt, Gloucester head coach George Skivington said: \u201cEliot is a player who has earned a really strong reputation in the Champ and has been very consistent over a number of seasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s at a good age for a prop and has plenty of experience already, but we also believe there\u2019s more to come from him.<\/p>\n

Italy powerhouse banned for reckless headbutt on All Blacks star despite head coach\u2019s \u2018harsh\u2019 sanction claim<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to bringing him into the group and seeing him develop further in our environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saracens add CHAMP ace<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in the PREM, Saracens have also turned to the CHAMP for reinforcements, adding Ampthill back Sione Va\u2019enuku to their squad for next season.<\/p>\n

The former rugby league man is no stranger to a PREM environment having spent time on trial at Northampton Saints, and now joins the North London outfit after a strong two-year spell with Ampthill.<\/p>\n

In his time with the second-tier side, Va\u2019enuku made 39 appearances and scored 17 tries.<\/p>\n

Commenting on the signing, Saracens director of rugby, Brendan Venter, said: \u201cSione has worked incredibly hard for this opportunity and has shown real determination in the way he has developed his game over the last couple of years.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a powerful and athletic midfielder with a real hunger to improve, and we believe he has the qualities and potential to thrive in our environment. We\u2019re looking forward to welcoming him to the club and seeing his development continue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also commenting, Va\u2019enuku added: \u201cI\u2019m honoured to join such a historic club and excited for the opportunity ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to learning from the coaches and the quality players in the squad, especially the backs, and continuing to grow my game in this environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong>Sir Steve Hansen\u2019s verdict on Rassie Erasmus\u2019 depth building: \u2018It\u2019s that mindset of we don\u2019t care\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Sharks have beaten out rivals to sign a Springboks hopeful, the Blues have added a former Junior…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1088547,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4102],"tags":[13877,5014,58932,225,19910,12,6875,4151,12070,934,79,10264,16,15,4510],"class_list":["post-1088546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-blues","tag-gloucester","tag-highlanders","tag-home-page","tag-lions","tag-news","tag-premiership","tag-rugby","tag-saracens","tag-sharks","tag-sports","tag-super-rugby","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-united-rugby-championship"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1088546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1088546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1088546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1088547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1088546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1088546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1088546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}