Jannie, Bismarck off to France

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 26: Bismarck Du Plessis of the Sharks with Jannie Du Plessis of the Sharks during the Absa Currie Cup final match between DHL Western Province and The Sharks at DHL Newlands on October 26, 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images)

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 26: Bismarck Du Plessis of the Sharks with Jannie Du Plessis of the Sharks during the Absa Currie Cup final match between DHL Western Province and The Sharks at DHL Newlands on October 26, 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images)

Published May 29, 2015

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The Sharks’ valiant efforts to hold onto the services of brothers Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis after the forthcoming Rugby World Cup in September have apparently failed, but the good news is the brothers will be going to the land of their ancestry and not shifting to another South African franchise.

The Bloemfontein-born “boeties” have long been targeted by the lucrative French club rugby circuit and it seems that more by accident than design, they will be hooking up with their old Sharks coach, Jake White, at Montpellier.

It is an open secret that White and the brothers never sent each other Christmas cards, if we could put it that way, but neither party knew last year, when they were all at the Sharks, that the rugby gods would conjure up this delicious irony.

The agent representing the Du Plessis brothers, Gerrie Swart, was quick to assure Sharks fans that the brothers were heading north of the equator after the World Cup, and certainly not to Cape Town, Pretoria or Johannesburg.

“The move will be out of South Africa,” Swart said. “A move to another South African franchise has never been a consideration. In all likelihood the destination will be Montpellier (it is the only party with whom I have had discussions ) but paper work has not been fully attended to.”

Does this mean there could be another chapter to be written on the brothers? Perhaps another Durban one? We await developments with interest. - The Mercury

*This story has been updated to correct factual errors. 

 

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