ICYMI: Could Kolisi help convince Eben to join the Sharks?

The strong friendship between Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth is said to be a factor that could see the Bok lock opt to join the Sharks.

Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth is close to joining a select group of players who have played a century of Tests in the green and gold jersey. Photo: BackpagePix

According to reports that emerged on Sunday, the Sharks are in advanced talks for Etzebeth to join the coastal side by next season.

In a dramatic further development, Toulon also released a statement on Sunday to reveal that the powerful lock had “expressed the wish to put an early end to the contract binding him to Toulon in order to return, for personal reasons, to South Africa”.

“I am sad to have to leave Toulon and my teammates at the end of the season but personal reasons force me to do so,” Etzebeth commented.

Etzebeth has been on an incredibly lucrative contract with French powerhouse club Toulon, and would obviously need to accept a pay cut at the Sharks.

Sunday newspaper Rapport had already suggested that Etzebeth was looking to return to South Africa, while the Sharks are reportedly hoping his close relationship with Bok captain and good friend Siya Kolisi helps lure him to Durban.

Kolisi moved to the Sharks at the start of 2021

The SA Rugby Player of the Year for 2021 has repeatedly highlighted how the move to the Sharks helped revive his career last year, while it’s also believed that he chatted to Bongi Mbonambi about the positive experiences in Durban before the Bok hooker also made the move to Kings Park.

Kolisi and Etzebeth are very close friends, and it will be very interesting to see if this plays a role in seeing the latter agree to link up with the Sharks as he now gets set to return to South Africa.

Sharks CEO Eduard Coetzee told TimesLive that they are looking to sign a world-class lock, but conceded the matter was a “little complicated” when it came to Etzebeth.

“We are looking at lock. We would love to get him, but he is on a big contract so he’ll have to get out of his contract and be prepared to take a substantial salary cut.
“I think Eben might get out. We are discussing this with his representatives and we are trying to push this to an end.
“We have to stay within our means. We can’t put things at risk because of an emotional decision. It depends how badly he wants to come back to SA. I think he is contracted until the Rugby World Cup.”

This talk comes not long after Toulon president Bernard Lemaître described Etzebeth as a “handicap” to the club because he is expensive and often unavailable.