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Sale Sharks No.8 Du Preez opens talks with Top 14 big boys
By Neil Fissler
Top 14 pace setters Bordeaux Begles have made the recruitment of a new No.8 a priority for next season, and they have revived their interest in Sale Sharks former Springbok international Dan du Preez.
Durban-born du Preez, 29, joined the Manchester-based club with twin Jean-Luc from their Durban namesakes on a permanent basis in July 2019, joining a third sibling, Rob, at the club.
Bordeaux need to find someone to replace Tongan-born Japanese international Tevita Tatafu, who will return to Japan’s League One when his contract runs out at the end of the season.
Tatafu, 28, has played 15 times for Japan and spent four seasons playing for Tokyo Sungoliath before moving to Bordeaux in 2023, where he has scored seven tries in 30 appearances.
He missed out on selection for the Rugby World Cup but was recalled to Eddie Jones’s Cherry Blossom squad in the summer, playing in the defeats against Georgia and Italy.
Du Preez is due to be under contract to the Sharks until the end of the 2025/26 season, but sources in South Africa tell RugbyPass that a move is very much on the cards after he was sounded out.
He is closing in on 100 games for the Sharks and will play his first game of the season tomorrow night against a Newcastle Falcons side coached by Steve Diamond, who took all three brothers to the club.
Du Preez has been out of action since January after he suffered a serious knee injury against Gloucester, and it's not the first time that he has been linked with a move away from Sale.
In 2021, he and Jean-Luc were wanted by their former club, but Sale kept them in the North-West. Two years ago, Les Girondins were keen on a deal, but again, Alex Sanderson and the Sharks fought off the interest.
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Latest Comments
Don't think you've watched enough. I'll take him over anything I's seen so far. But let's see how the future pans out. I'm quietly confident we have a row of 10's lined uo who would each start in many really good teams.
Go to commentsHopefully Joe stays where he is. That would mean Les, McKellar, larkham and Cron should as well. It’s the stability we need in the state programs. But, if Joe goes, RA with its current financial situation will be forced into promoting from within. And this will likely destabilise other areas.
To better understand some of the entrenched bitterness of those outside of NZ and NSW (as an example 😂), Nic, there is probably a comparison to the old hard heads of welsh rugby who are still stuck in the 1970s. Before the days where clubs merged, professionalism started, and the many sharp knives were put into the backs of those who loved the game more than everyone else. I’m sure you know a few... But given your comparison of rugby in both wales and Australia, there are a few north of the tweed that will never trust a kiwi or NSWelshman because of historical events and issues over the history of the game. It is what it is. For some, time does not heal all wounds. And it is still festering away in some people. Happy holidays to you. All the best in 2025.
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