'Lood's signing is a statement of intent in Sale's endeavour to become a force'

Sale have pulled off a massive coup for next season by capturing South African international Lood de Jager from the Super Rugby Bulls.

The talisman second row has signed a three-year contract with the club and will arrive in Manchester ahead of the 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership season or, if selected, after the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

The 26-year-old started his career with the Cheetahs and quickly burst into the spotlight after a stellar first season.

The 6ft 9in powerhouse went on to make 40 Super Rugby appearances for the Bloemfontein-based franchise and was rewarded for his outstanding form in 2015, winning the prestigious SA Rugby player of the year award.

Known in Super Rugby for his superior physical presence, the 125kg lock was quickly recognised by the Springbok hierarchy as an upcoming talent and was selected for the national side in May 2014 at just 21 years old.

The experienced lineout operator has now won a total of 38 caps for South Africa. In 2016, de Jager made the switch from Bloemfontein to Pretoria, signing for the Bulls ahead of the 2017 Super Rugby Season. He has since gone on to make 20 appearances for the franchise and was awarded the captaincy ahead of the 2019 season.

Sale boss Steve Diamond said: “I’m extremely pleased to secure the services of Lood for the 2019/20 season. He’s a world class lineout operator with lots of experience at the highest level and offers a huge physical presence around the pitch.

“Lood’s signing is a statement of intent in our endeavour to become a force in the Gallagher Premiership and Europe over the next three years."

Lood added: “It’s a great honour to join Sale. They are a club with great tradition and really high ambitions and they are building something really special.

“It's exciting to be a part of and I'm looking forward to joining up with the guys in Manchester later in the year."