Johannesburg – Bulls fullback Zane Kirchner will take up a contract with Irish side Leinster later this year, the Pretoria franchise confirmed on Monday.
The Bulls said they had been in negotiations with Kirchner for five months in an attempt to extend his contract past the October 31 expiry date, but the player's agent had confirmed a two-year deal with the Irish provincial side.
A final release date had not been established, however, and would be determined by the Bulls' board, according to the Pretoria team's high performance manager Xander Janse van Rensburg.
“We understand that an earlier release might be requested, but it is up to the board to approve that or not,” Van Rensburg said.
“We have been in talks with Zane and his agent since November and although it is very disappointing to lose his services, we wish him well with the new phase in his career.
“From our side, with coach Frans Ludeke very involved and in regular consultation with Springbok management, we tried our best to keep the player in Pretoria, but could in the end not compete with the exchange rate and the expectations of Zane and his agent.” – Sapa