Cape Town - Sharks director of rugby Gary Gold named his provisional pre-season training squad for the 2016 Super Rugby campaign.
Included in the squad is former Stormers lock Ruan Botha, who has signed a two-year contract with the Durban-based franchise. Botha's move to the Sharks offsets the loss of Springbok second-row Pieter-Steph du Toit who has joined the Stormers.
“Ruan is a young player with a bright future ahead of him,” Gold told the Sharks' official website.
“He was part of the SA U20 squad that won the IRB Junior Championship in 2012 and we look forward to his progress in the black and white jersey.” Gold is set to name his final squad early in 2016.
“This squad will be re-looked at in the New Year, when our other squad members return,” he added.
This current squad will be bolstered by the return of our Japanese based players, namely Marcell Coetzee, Willie le Roux, JP Pietersen, Jacques Potgieter and Renaldo Bothma, who will join the squad in January 2016.
There were some familiar names missing from squad, most notbaly, Springboks Marco Wentzel(lock) and Waylon Murray (centre) as well as Jaco van Tonder, JC Astle, Lionel Cronje and Wiehan Hay.
Sharks provisional training squad Forwards: Aaron Schramm, Barend Potgieter, Christiaan de Bruin, Coenie Oosthuizen, Dale Chadwick, David McDuling, Etienne Oosthuizen, Franco Marais, Francois Kleinhans, Gerhard Engelbrecht, Hyron Andrews, Jean Deysel, Kyle Cooper, Beast Mtawarira, Lubabalo Mtyanda, Monde Hadebe, Mzamo Majola, Philip van der Walt, Ruan Botha, Sias Koen, Thomas du Toit. Backs: Andre Esterhuizen, Cobus Reinach, Garth April, Heimar Williams, Innocent Radebe, Joe Pietersen, Johan Deysel, Lukhanyo Am, Lwazi Mvovo, Marius Louw, Michael Claassens, Odwa Ndungane, Pat Lambie, Paul Jordaan, Sibusiso Nkosi, S'bura Sithole, Stefan Ungerer, Wandile Mjekevu. The players on the Sharks' injury list includes Beast Mtawarira, Conrad Hoffmann, Daniel du Preez, Jean-Luc du Preez, Juan Schoeman, Khaya Majola, Lourens Adriaanse, Stephan Lewies, Tera Mtembu - African News Agency (ANA)