Leicester Tigers to replace Jasper Wiese with Junior Springbok

Leicester Tigers have signed Junior Springboks No8 Corné Beets on a long-term deal ahead of next season.

The 20-year-old is the current Junior Springbok of the year, having starred in his country's third-place finish at the U20 World Championship last July.

Beets will fill the void left by compatriot Jasper Wiese at the back of the Leicester scrum, with the World Cup winner leaving Welford Road at the end of the season.

Beets is a product Paarl Gimnasium, the same school as future teammate Handre Pollard, as well as legendary Springboks such as Jean de Villiers and Schalk Burger.

“The incredible opportunity to become a member of the prestigious Leicester Tigers family excites me," Beets said to the Leicester website after signing.

“It is an honour and a privilege to bring my enthusiasm and expertise to this legendary club, and I am eager to take on the challenges that lie ahead while creating lifelong memories with my teammates and the amazing Leicester Tigers supporters.

“I'm excited to fully immerse myself in Leicester's rich culture and becoming a proud member of the community.”

Tigers head coach Dan McKellar added: “We’re really pleased to have Corné join us next season.”

“He’s a young man who’s obviously got all the tools to play the game at the highest level and his job will be to apply himself every day with the goal of getting better

“As a player, you like his athleticism, his set-piece and that coming through that South African pathway, you know he’ll play a style that suits Leicester Tigers, so we’re excited to work with him and see him grow in our program.”