Despite losing several of their top stars, the Emirates Lions have managed to retain the services of winger Stean Pienaar for the next two years.
Pienaar extended his contract at the Lions and joins the likes of scrumhalf Morne van der Berg, lock Ruben Schoeman and flanker Sibusiso Sangweni in extending their stays at Emirates Airlines Park despite an exodus of other players.
The Lions have signed former Sharks players Marius Louw (centre) and Sanele Nohamba (scrumhalf) after the Sharks released them early from their contracts but seem to be heading for a legal battle with the Sharks over the services of Vincent Tshituka, arguably their star of the season.
The Sharks announced that Tshituka would join them along with Carlu Sadie, the tighthead prop so highly rated in this year’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship but Lions CEO Rudolf Straeuli said the union were “Reserving our rights” and hinted they may follow the legal route as the announcements were “premature.”
In Sadie’s case, his contract ends at the end of June so it is unlikely he will be part of that, but Tshituka’s contract ends in December, and the Sharks believe because they acceded to the request to release Nohamba and Louw earlier than their contracts stipulate, the Lions should do the same with Tshituka.
Either way it seems they may pay out the rest of his contract as a legal battle is likely to cost a lot more in the long run.