The Emirates Lions have bolstered their ranks with the news that former Bulls and Pumas flyhalf Chris Smith will join them for the upcoming Vodacom United Rugby Championship season.
Smith, who left the Bulls two season’s ago for French club Oyonnax, makes his return to the country and will join the Lions for the next few years and gives himself a chance to settle into the 10 jersey with the Lions searching for a player to fulfill that role on a long term basis.
Mr Smith... Welcome to the Pride #ForOurCity #LionsPride🦁 pic.twitter.com/p0M5jlo8Pd
— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) June 19, 2025
His arrival coincides with the arrival of two wingers - Eduan Keyter from the Sharks and former Blitzbok Angelo Davids from the Stormers.
Keyter, who has had a lot of injury problems over the past few years, never really settled in at the Sharks and will look to regain his try-scoring prowess, which he had at Griquas, when he joins the Lions this season.
Davids has played second fiddle behind Leolin Zas, Seabelo Senatla and Suleiman Hartzenberg at the Stormers and will be looking for more of a starting role this season in Johannesburg.
Off-season shake-up - the @LionsRugbyCo are adding bite. pic.twitter.com/kg2WwkhyLl
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) June 19, 2025
The two wingers will vie for the spot left by Springbok Edwill van der Merwe, who left the Lions this season for the Sharks.
The other big loss for the Lions was their captain Marius Louw, who will be joining Sale Sharks this coming season.
The Lions have also signed Griquas lock Dylan Sjoblom from Griquas.
Dylan Sjoblom joins the Pride 🦁#ForOurCity #LionsPride🦁 pic.twitter.com/YBeyYmiJUJ
— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) June 18, 2025
SHARKS SAY FAREWELL TO SIX
Meanwhile the Sharks said farewell to six members of their squad last week at the end of their season - with Keyter being one of them.
The others include James Venter (Gloucester), Dylan Richardson (Edinburgh), Ntuthuko Mchunu (Stormers), Gerbrand Grobler (unknown) and Henry Immelmann, who will return to the Bulls following the end of his loan period.
Farewell brothers and all the best with your new chapters 🖤 pic.twitter.com/fXogUYUxRR
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) June 11, 2025
The Sharks currently only have Van der Merwe announced as their new arrival.
Mchunu and World Cup-winning scrumhalf Cobus Reinach are the big buys for the Stormers for next season, while the Cape side will lose several players that did duty this year.
World Cup-winning Bok Herschel Jantjies will head to Bayonne, while Paul de Wet, the team’s other halfback, heads to the Bulls next season.
Ben Loader returns to England to join Gloucester while Joseph Dweba heads to Exeter Chiefs.
The Stormers have also lost Steven Kitshoff to a career-ending injury and Brok Harris, who has retired.
The Bulls’ big signing is World Cup-winning flyhalf Handre Pollard, while Montpellier duo Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg and Jan Serfontein are two other Boks to join the Pretoria side.
World Cup winner Marvin Orie is also heading to Pretoria along with De Wet, Cheetahs captain Jeandre Rudolph and former Stormers and Zebre lock Dylan de Leeuw.
The Bulls' only significant loss seems to be scrumhalf Bernard van der Linde, who heads to Bath while they have rejected offers for Mornay Smith (Munster) and Simphiwe Matanzima (Sharks).
SAFFAS MOVING ABROAD
Of the movements of SA players abroad, Cardiff flyhalf Tinus de Beer is joining Dragons while Glasgow Warriors hardman Henco Venter is heading to Brive for the next season.
Glasgow have also released well-travelled lock JP du Preez with no news on a new club while Ulster have signed Juarno Augustus from Northampton Saints, with Augustus back in the Bok frame after a barnstorming season.
Over in England, Van der Linde arrives at Bath as Louis Schreuder announced his retirement for the Premiership champions while Exeter hardman Jacques Vermeulen is heading to Sale Sharks for the upcoming season.
Big spending Gloucester have released Ruan Ackermann and Gareth Blackmore with no word on their next homes while Brive have snapped up Harlequins lock Irne Herbst to add to Venter’s signing.
Northampton Saints have released Burger Odendaal from his contract, with no word on where he is going next while Springbok squad member Jean-Luc du Preez has been released from his contract at Sale Sharks and will be joining Champions Cup winners Bordeaux.
In France former Springbok Uzair Cassiem has a new home at Nice and is leaving Bayonne along with prop Pieter Scholtz.
Montpellier have signed SA-born hooker Ricky Riccitelli from the Blues, while along with the departures of Serfontein, Reinach and Janse van Rensburg, former France lock Paul Willemse has announced his retirement.
Pau hooker Dan Jooste has left for Narbonne while Tristan Tedder moves from Racing 92 to Perpignan.
Racing has also released former Stormers prop Lee-Marvin Mazibuko from their books.