Pieter-Steph du Toit is on his way back to South Africa: Where will he end up?

Pieter-Steph du Toit is the latest in a recent surge of Springbok players returning to SA from Japan. Pieter-Steph du Toit has announced that he is leaving his Japanese club, Toyota Verblitz, with immediate effect and will be returning to South Africa at the end of the Nations Championship end-of-year tour with the Springboks. Du Toit becomes the latest Bok player to return home in recent weeks, following Manie Libbok (Sharks), Malcolm Marx and Kwagga Smith (both Bulls), who have all opted to leave their Japanese clubs. But Du Toit will now be immediately available to play, similar to Smith who was also released with immediate effect but is injured, while Libbok and Marx will see out their contracts in Japan until the end of the season, in the middle of next year, before returning. Mutually part ways “We hereby announce that Pieter-Steph du Toit will depart Toyota Verblitz,” said a club statement released on Friday. “While Pieter-Steph du Toit was still under contract with the club, the player and Toyota Verblitz engaged in extensive discussions regarding his future. Following those discussions, and in accordance with his wishes, both parties mutually agreed to part ways.” So the big question now is, where will the two-time World Rugby Player of the Year and double World Cup winner will end up? The Sharks, Stormers and Bulls are his most likely destinations. It is doubtful the Lions have the cash to splash on Du Toit. But the Bulls themselves must be quite tight budget-wise, and have a stacked loose forward department. Du Toit is likely to prefer a return to one of his former sides on the coast, the Stormers or Sharks. The Stormers are probably the team in the driving seat, with Du Toit’s family farming in the Western Cape, while he spent five years at the union after initially starting his professional career at the Sharks, where he played for three years. Stacked Stormers But the Stormers will also be very tight budget-wise, having made some big recent signings, including fellow Bok stars Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe, plus they are also hugely stacked in the loose forward department. The Stormers’ loose forwards include Kolisi, Paul de Villiers, Deon Fourie, Hacjivah Dayimani, Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon, Ruan Ackermann, Marcel Theunissen, Keke Morabe, Louw Nel and youngsters Wandile Mlaba and Divan Fuller. Rising Junior Bok star Riley Norton is also being primed to become a similar player to Franco Mostert, and Du Toit, who can feature at No 7, although he is primarily a lock, so in terms of space and money the Stormers may not be able to offer Du Toit a place. It thus seems the Sharks could possibly have the upper hand, as they should have the funds, as well as space, although they also boast a good roster of loose forwards. On Friday Du Toit also released a statement explaining his decision to leave Japan, where he has been since leaving the Stormers in 2021. Du Toit statement “Toyota Verblitz and the people of Japan have been incredibly kind and welcoming to our family. I would like to sincerely thank the club’s management for enabling our family to stay together during our time in Japan,” said Du Toit. “I shared with the management that I did not want to be separated from my family and travel back and forth between Japan and South Africa during the upcoming season. They were understanding of my situation and kindly agreed to an early release from my contract. “To all the staff at Toyota Verblitz, thank you for everything you have done for my family and me, to the coaching staff, thank you for all that I have learned from you and for your patience and support during the long periods when I was unable to play for the club. “To my Toyota Verblitz teammates, thank you for welcoming me as a brother and making me feel like part of your family. It was always a privilege and an honour to train and play alongside you. “To the Toyota Verblitz supporters, thank you for standing by both the team and me through the good times and the challenging moments. I am truly grateful for your unwavering loyalty and support. “My family and I will deeply miss Toyota Verblitz. Our time here has given us memories that we will cherish forever. While it is difficult to say goodbye, we leave with immense gratitude and will always look back on our time in Japan and at Toyota Verblitz with great fondness.”