Pieter-Steph du Toit (Getty Images)
Pieter-Steph du Toit, after one of the most highly-publicised transfer stories in South African rugby history, will stay at the Stormers.
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The franchise confirmed the news on their official website on Thursday.
The 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year last week exercised his option to exit his existing contract with Western Province while there were other lucrative offers from France and Japan, but it was understood at the time that his intention was to enter into a new agreement with the union.
Negotiations between the parties have been ongoing since then and Du Toit’s future was not certain until the announcement on Thursday.
According to a statement from the Stormers, Du Toit has now withdrawn his contract termination notification.
He will now stay with the Stormers until at least the end of the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
Board member Andre van der Veen said that while there was a lot of hard work put in to reach this conclusion, it was satisfying to announce a resolution which suits all parties involved.
“Pieter-Steph wanted to stay at Western Province Rugby, he is a true team man, who is integral to our plans at Western Province Rugby. We committed to find an equitable solution for him and the entire team and we are pleased to be able to officially confirm it,” he said.
Stormers coach John Dobson said that keeping experienced world class players like Du Toit and the other seven World Cup winners in the squad, is a crucial element in the vision of rewarding the rugby community in the Cape with a team they can be proud of.
“Pieter-Steph is an important team member, his extraordinary work-rate coupled with his ball carrying skills, makes our forward pack even more formidable,” he said.
“The rehabilitation on his injury is progressing well and we are looking forward to seeing him in a Stormers jersey again when we get back on the field.
“Not only is this good for the Stormers and Western Province Rugby, but it is also good for South African rugby that we have kept such prominent players in the country, looking ahead at the post-pandemic rugby offering and market.
“We are proud as a union of our achievement of contracting eight Rugby World Cup winning Springboks in the province and keeping them in the country.”
– Compiled by Sport24 staff
