Sale Sharks are on the verge of securing the services of Agustin Creevy, the Argentinian and former London Irish hooker, to fill the void left by the departure of Akker van der Merwe.
According to information obtained by Telegraph Sport, Van der Merwe, who has earned three caps for the Springboks and scored a try in the previous season’s Premiership final against Saracens at Twickenham, is set to make a premature return to his home country of South Africa, joining the Bulls a year ahead of schedule, instead of seeing out his contract.
The Sharks are also set to confirm the signing of Luke Cowan-Dickie following his exit from Exeter Chiefs.
The addition of another British and Irish Lion to Sale Sharks’ pack would be a significant boost for the team, especially after their loss in the Premiership finals, where a malfunctioning lineout played a part in their defeat against Saracens.
If the deal comes to fruition, it would also be a welcome development for national coach Steve Borthwick, as Cowan-Dickie’s eligibility for Test selection after this year’s World Cup would be secured.
According to the latest report, Cowan-Dickie is currently experiencing a slow and frustrating recovery from neck surgery.
Nonetheless, he has already completed one medical examination at Sale Sharks, and if he successfully completes a second one, he will join Jonny Hill and Tom O’Flaherty in making the move from Exeter to the Sharks.
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Navidi, Jones, Hogg and Sexton reveal new careers after confirming retirement
We take a look at the interesting career moves that a number of soon to be retired rugby players are making…
#1. Josh Navidi
Together with his friend Jack Wilkins, he operates a thriving car dealership known as Cute Club. Additionally, he is a renowned DJ who frequently performs in the Cardiff nightlife scene.
“It started off with me just buying my own cars, driving them, and then selling them the next year because I’ve always been a petrol head,” he told Wales Online.
“I’ve always had sporty cars but now I go for stuff with less fuel, and I’ve always changed my cars every year.
“I started going to auctions for my own stuff and then boys were asking me what’s the best VIP deal with all these lease deals that we get offered.
“I was advising some of the Cardiff boys for years on how to get the best deals for cars, and some boys were asking for cars you couldn’t get on the VIP scheme.
“They wanted all sorts like performance cars and one thing led to another.
“Boys started asking about finance and then it led me down that path, then into warranties, and then we would just meet people day to day.
“Now we have got a forecourt, and we are a car dealership which buys and sells cars.
“We are open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, but we take appointments in the evenings, and on the weekend.”