Ulster Rugby are a fan of South Africans, in particular, Sharks and it looks like another Shark could be about to join their ranks.
Reports in the South African news publication ‘RapportSA’ indicate that Springbok Prop Thomas Du Toit is set to sign with the Irish Province on a short term contract.
Du Toit or ‘Tank’ as he’s often referred to in South Africa failed to make the final 31-man Springbok World Cup Squad having made his Test Debut in 2018.
Du Toit (24) has already had a stint in Ireland when he signed for Munster in 2016 on a similar short term contract. Back then he was a loose-head but has recently transitioned across the front row to a Test quality Tighthead.
The farm boy from Koringberg, just outside Moorreesburg in the Western Cape, was always a talented loosehead prop but with, among others, 100-Test veteran Beast Mtawarira standing in his way at the Sharks, Du Toit decided a move to tighthead would be best for him. He battled initially, but is now showing huge progress and looks set to be part of the Bok set-up for years to come.
“There was a big opportunity at tighthead this year (2018), with Lourens Adriaanse moving out of the system and the Sharks having quality looseheads like Tendai and Juan Schoeman in the mix,” explained Du Toit speaking with IOL.
Ulster did make move in the offseason to recruit new front-row talent with former Worcester Warriors prop Gareth Milasinovich making the move to Belfast. He, unfortunately, suffered a serious ACL injury in pre-season and looks set to miss the majority of the season.
If the move comes to fruition, he will join a long line of Sharks who have worn the Red Hand of Ulster following on from Johann Muller, Stefan Terblanche, Ruan Pienaar, Marcell Coetzee, Jean Deysel to name a few.
