Stormers lose Van Rhyn to Sale Sharks: 'Forged from South African steel'

Ernst van Rhyn will leave the Stormers to join English club Sale Sharks ahead of the 2023/24 season.

The versatile Van Rhyn, who can play lock or loose forward, has signed a three-year deal with the English Premiership side.

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Van Rhyn, 25, is a former teammate of Sale Sharks stalwart Cobus Wiese at both domestic and international level, with the pair teaming up for the Junior Springboks at the 2016 World Cup in England.

Wiese played for the Stormers between 2017 and 2020, before joining Sale.

"I'm really excited about this move. Sale have a quality team full of world-class players and I can't wait to play with guys like the Curry and Du Preez brothers. I really feel like we can achieve great things together in the years ahead," Van Rhyn said in a statement on Sale's official website. 

"I spoke to Cobus before making my decision and the fact that there will be familiar faces and familiar voices at the club was definitely a factor. 

"But more importantly, at this stage of my career, I felt like I really wanted to try a new environment and a new culture to grow as a rugby player but also as a person. I really want to keep pushing and challenging myself and the environment at Sale is the perfect place to do that."

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Sale's director of rugby, Alex Sanderson, welcomed Van Rhyn's signing.

"We have a good track record of recruiting really good, young, aggressive, physical South African back five players and