John Smit, Springbok and Sharks captain, has confirmed his move to French Top14 club Cleremont-Ferrand. He will join the side for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
Andy Marinos, SARU national teams manager wished Smit luck in a statement yesterday.
“John was always an outstanding ambassador for his country, franchise and province throughout his playing career. It is never easy to see a player of his stature and experience leave, but we would like to wish him and his family all the very best for the future.
“On behalf of everyone at SA Rugby, I want to thank John for the exemplary, dignified and respectful manner in which he represented and managed to captain his country. SA Rugby was consulted throughout the process and we respect his decision.â€
Smit spoke about his career so far and emphasized that he was not retiring from international rugby.
“Representing the Springboks since my debut in 2000 and also playing for my beloved Sharks was a real dream come true for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
“However, the time has come to make a change and move on in my professional career. I want to thank the Sharks and SA Rugby for the incredible way they have cared, managed and treated me. I now look forward to return to my beloved South Africa with some new experiences.
“I am not retiring from international rugby and it will be an honour for me to play in any future match for my country.â€
Rudolf Straeuli spoke on behalf of the Sharks in wishing Smit well.
“He leads by example and his humble and calm manner had a great influence on players around him. On behalf of everyone at the Sharks, I want to thank him for his massive contribution to our rugby and indeed rugby in general in the country. We wish him and his family well and he will be sorely missed.”
Good luck Barney