Powerhouse Blue Bulls prop Kees Lensing has confirmed that he will be leaving the Currie Cup champions at the end of the season.
Leeds Tykes announced in the past week that they were negotiating with the big prop and Lensing confirmed on Wednesday from his family farm in Namibia that he had signed a two-and-a-half year contract which will start at the end of this year's Currie Cup competition.
"I signed on Tuesday," Lensing confirmed.
Lensing had a brilliant Super 12 and was arguably the best loosehead in the competition and has mixed feelings about leaving the Bulls.
In the end, the fact that he is not eligible for the Springboks played a major part.
"I really enjoyed my time at the Bulls. I was on my way overseas when Heyneke contacted me and offered me a contract. It's really been great at the Bulls and I've enjoyed myself here. If I could have had a chance to play for the Springboks, it might have changed my mind.
"The decision is purely financial."
Lensing admits that his financial value "trippled" in the time he was based at Loftus.
But while he is looking forward to a good Currie Cup season with the Blue Bulls, there are no regrets that he played for his birth country and thus made himself ineligible for the Boks under International Rugby Board rules.
"I don't look at things in that way. At that stage I never would have got a chance at the Bulls and my value wasn't as great, so it didn't come into the equation."
Lensing got his break when the Bulls noticed his scrummaging power in the SA A-side's game against Namibia about 18 months ago and the Currie Cup champions moved quickly to sign him up.
He won't be returning to the Currie Cup while playing in the northern hemisphere, but for the next few months at least he will be looking for a Currie Cup crown to give him the perfect send-off.