Francois Steyn returns to South Africa – Rugby News Update
Francois Steyn, the 25-year-old Racing Metro and South Africa centre has stated that he will be moving back to his home country after the commencement of the Top 14 league.
The Durban based side; the Sharks, have signed up the prodigious back on a three-year deal. Steyn started his career with the Sharks before he moved to France in 2009. The Sharks were naturally delighted at having the youngest player ever to win the World
Cup in 2007 back at the club.
Sharks' coach John Plumtree on the return said, "it is great to have him back with us as we did miss him. He was definitely an influential player when he left and he will again be that, so it is fantastic to have him with the Sharks."
Steyn has amazing ball-kicking abilities and in one match he kicked the ball 100m. He had only played a handful of games for the Sharks before he earned his first international cap for the Springboks against Ireland at Lansdowne Road, on November 11, 2006,
having impressed Coach Jake White.
Having made his debut, he made further strides at the 2007 Tri-nations, and was subsequently called up to the 2007 South African World Cup squad. He started the tournament on the bench but made the inside-centre position his own by the end of the tournament.
With Heyneke Meyer becoming the new South African coach, Steyn wants to re-ignite his international career and add to the 47 caps that he has earned so far.
The CEO of the Sharks, Brian van Zyl was also ecstatic at the return of the player and he feels that he will add to the team. He said, "The present focus is on depth and ability to actively compete in every position in the squad so we are delighted to have
Francois back with us to provide that strength in our backline, not to mention his accurate boot."
Racing Metro is going to lose a formidable player in Steyn. The Centre is a loose-cannon, having fallen out with previous coaches but if he harbours any ambition of playing for the Springboks, he needs to change his attitude.
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