Despite all his protestations to the contrary, it would appear that WP hooker Tiaan Liebenberg is off to France after all.
Liebenberg has become the umpteenth player in recent times to leave South African shores to accept a highly lucrative offer from Racing Club Toulonaise. The Southern French club, recently promoted to the top fourteen, is owned by billionaire Mourad Boudjellal and has shown in singing All Black starts Jerry Collins and Dan Carter that it is not shy to pay top dollar for the best talent.
Blue Bulls locks Vic Matfield and Francois van Schouwenburg have both recently returned from stints with Toulon, as has former Bok prop Lawrence Sephaka.
Liebenberg seems unhappy to be behind the lighter, yet more dynamic Schalk Brits in the pecking order at WP (and the Boks) and has been granted an early release from his provincial contract to accept a “very attractive package” from the RCT. His departure, although sanctioned by the WP management, will leave the team a little light in terms of hooking options, with neither Brits nor rookie Deon Fourie the sort of player to cause opposition tight fives any sleepless nights in the set pieces. Hanyani Shimange is, of course, still contracted to Province, yet appears to have disappeared off the scene.
Liebenberg will join fellow South Africans Wessel Roux and Nico Breedt in the Toulon pack. He may well, of course, find himself throwing the ball to Bakkies Botha come lineout time, should the big Bull be successful in his legal action against his current employers.
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Any idea how long his contract is?
@molly (Comment 1) : no clue. Trying to translate various French news stories to see if I can work it out
He speaks good French, does Tiaan: “Je suis très excité à l’idée d’enrichir mon expérience de joueur. C’est une chance que je ne voulais pas laisser passer” 🙂
Good move on Liebenbergs part, cant say the same for Province though.
Mr Admin i have a certain hooker in my FL team that i need to make away with
No great lose..many hookers left in SA , especially in Braamfontein 😉
@PJLD (Comment 5) : sorry pal… you pays your money and takes your chance 😉
@robdylan (Comment 7) :
Pleeeeeeease Robd gotta make exceptions here… 😎 😉
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 6) :
So thats why I saw Rassie in negotiations on the corner of Harrison and Smit streets the other night. From what was seen it seems as if he is heeding the call to bulk up the front row.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 8) : You made your bed… 😆
@PJLD (Comment 5) :
I think I have him in my FL as well 😡
@robdylan (Comment 2) : Gotta love Google Translate … 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 11) : That’s what you get for picking WP players…
@blackshark (Comment 13) :
@ internet cafe doing SB picks
@KSA Shark © (Comment 14) : Also made my picks this morning… almost forgot… 😳
@Salmonoid (Comment 9) :
Rassie he knows all the good places to go looking for playas..
Don’t forget dudes to make your bru picks I forgot last week so ya all have a head start..
Why do players have to lie!??!
I mean their Contracted team and the team they are negotiating with both know…so why lie!??!
Jinne this world is filled with untrustworthy people…
@Hmmm (Comment 17) :
Especially sports people….
Isn’t this the same player who said that he was 150% committed to Province?
I think I’ve worked it out, it’s called the commitment/effort-honesty continuum.
Like the space-time continuum, where if you travel through space at faster than the speed of light (100% of potential speed), then you start moving back in time.
In the commitment/effort-honesty continuum, if say, Liebenberg says that he’s 150% committed, what he’s really saying is “I’m 100% committed, but there’s a 50% chance that I’m talking crap.”
Clever chaps these sportsmen.
@Flashman (Comment 19) :
🙂 very good theory…. worthy of Douglas Adams
Good hookers are always 150% committed to their current employer.
@Dive Pass (Comment 20) : I reckon it’s the other way around. He’s 50% committed & 100% chance he’s talking crap. 😀
Salmonoid
Imo it depends if they like handouts or not. Or should that be mouthfuls?
@Salmonoid (Comment 21) : Ah, that’s the punchline! Well done, I was wondering what it was.
@greatestpropeddieandrews (Comment 23) : What’s with the new nick?
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 22) :
True!
bs
Do i really need to answer that??? 🙄
@greatestpropeddieandrews (Comment 27) : Eddie Andrews, wasn’t he just the greatest. How we could use him now….. 😆
Well, we won the Tri Nations while he was at 3.
A very underrated player…
@greatestpropeddieandrews (Comment 27) : Yeah ! I’m still confused … 😕
@greatestpropeddieandrews (Comment 29) : Maybe in the eyes of a one-eyed WP supporter 😉
@Pokkel (Comment 31) : …and that one eye wears a thick lens too…
👿
Jou MA was daar!!!
@wpw (Comment 33) : Oh…you’re back…
I hope you won’t feed Daniel any of your biased opinions 😆
Well, he will definitely be a Liverpool supporter!!!
@wpw (Comment 33) :
wpw, some dellusional individual is using your atavar/avatar/picture – let rob know that the security on this site is slipping.
@wpw (Comment 35) : Hey…Liverpool is the greatest…that’s not a biased opinion…it’s a fact…so go ahead and teach him the words to YNWA.
Did you get my work email address dude? EURO 08 is almost over and pre-season starts soon…can’t wait to see NEW SIGNINGS.
Eish! I don’t know why they are bringing MAN UTD again for the Vodacom Cup !!! 😡
Salmonoid
Is he a Sharks supporter?
You see, you mentioned delusional individual and i immediately thought…
Imposter??? 😡
bs
One of my Manure buddies actually invited me to the game at Nuweland… the nerve!!! 👿
Maybe he thought it would be nice for you to see a team that actually wins stuff these days.
@wpw (Comment 38) :
No he is a Bulls supporter, he just doesnt want everyone to know it, he says it will affect the cult status he enjoys in Cape Town and surrounds.
@wpw (Comment 40) : I might end up watching them vs Pirates at the Tank…but it’s not in the top half of my “to-do list”…
The former Super 14-winning mentor of the Bulls, Heyneke Meyer, is expected to be appointed as the new Leicester Tigers’ new head coach on Friday.
From rugby365
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 44) : Good for him… 🙄
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 44) : woohoo
rachel…
So does this mean the Tigers will be reverting to 10-man ‘stampkar’ rugby???
@wpw (Comment 47) : 🙂
I see it’s no Cassoulet for Bakkies, he’ll remain on pap & wors.
He lost his case. 🙄