Stormers star to join French giants

A Stormers back has signed a two-year deal with Investec Champions Cup winners Bordeaux Bègles.

According to RugbyPass, midfielder Dan du Plessis will join the French Top 14 club on 1 July after a decade in Cape Town.

The 31-year-old has been one of the Stormers’ longest-serving and most dependable performers, earning 87 caps, although recent seasons have been interrupted by serious injury.

He and centre partner Ruhan Nel became the club’s most capped centre pairing when they played together for the 31st time in the URC semi-final against Leinster, overtaking the De Wet Barry-Marius Joubert partnership.

Du Plessis comes from one of South African rugby’s most distinguished families. He is the son of former Springbok centre Michael du Plessis and the nephew of Bok greats Carel and Willie du Plessis.

Despite earning recognition at SA U20 level and consistently impressing in the URC, Du Plessis never received a Springbok call-up.

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Bordeaux coach Yannick Bru has reportedly tracked Du Plessis for some time and this is not the first occasion the French club has shown interest in the experienced midfielder.

Du Plessis will join new Springbok prop Carlü Sadie, loose forwards Jean-Luc du Preez and Tiaan Jacobs, and centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg at the French club.

Bordeaux also recently acquired young South African locks Robbie Combrinck and Diaan Augustyn, and hooker Benjamin Coetzee.

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Du Plessis’ departure may open the door for the highly rated Johnny Roche, as well as SA U20 star Markus Muller who made his Stormers debut in April.

Photo: Cole Cruickshank/Gallo Images