Steyn to leave Bulls for Stade Francais

Pretoria News

Bulls and Springbok flyhalf Morne Steyn.

Johannesburg – The Blue Bulls Company (BBC) confirmed on Monday that Springbok flyhalf Morne Steyn will be leaving Pretoria for Paris at the end of the 2013 rugby season.

Steyn decided to take up an offer from Stade Francais in France and will join them until June 2016, but will see out his contract with the BBC, which expires on October 31.

“I always wanted to play some rugby abroad and experience a different lifestyle and now have the opportunity to go and do that,” Steyn said.

“They have been negotiating with me for a while now and I have decided not to accept the offer from the BBC to extend my contract, but rather join Stade.”

The flyhalf was contracted to the BBC since 2003 and has decided to broaden his horizons after a decade with the Bulls and Blue Bulls, which saw him win numerous titles at Vodacom Super Rugby, Currie Cup, Vodacom Cup and junior levels.

As a Bulls player, Steyn was also picked to become a Springbok and to date, has played in 42 Test matches, scoring 486 points.

The 29-year-old pivot said it was time for a change, although it was a tough decision to leave the Bulls.

“I basically owe everything I achieved in rugby to them, but the opportunity to join Stade comes at the right time in my career,” he said.

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke gave Steyn his blessing saying the player had been a loyal servant to the Union.

“He has given everything he had for 10 years now and one cannot fault his decision to expand his horizons,” Ludeke said.

“We will forever be grateful to have a player like that in our generation and can only wish him the best.

“He will be missed as he is a world class player, but I know that he will still be giving us 110 percent till the end of his term.”

BBC High Performance Manager Xander Janse van Rensburg confirmed Steyn had been offered an extension to his contract, but could not match the lucrative French offer.

“Morne also indicated to us that he will use the remainder of his time here to mentor our junior crop of flyhalves coming through, which is something we are very pleased about,” Janse van Rensburg. – Sapa