Bath to sign Jacques du Toit from Cheetahs

Jacques du Toit is set to become the latest South African addition to the Gallagher Premiership by signing a short term deal with Bath.

RugbyPass understands that the Cheetahs hooker has already signed for the club and is likely to join up with the Premiership side in the new year.

Du Toit is awaiting his visa before joining up with the West Country club and will then begin his isolation protocols before he starts training with the wider squad. He joins on an initial six-month deal, with the hope of extending his contract beyond that.

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With plenty of experience in the PRO14 for both the Cheetahs and Southern Kings he’ll be a solid set-piece addition to Stuart Hooper’s side. Having mixed it up with the Cheetahs most recently you could also expect him to be able to shift with the ball in hand and help Bath in their bid to play a more expansive brand of rugby.

Du Toit is understood to have spent time in Bath whilst on an off day during his time with the Cheetahs and was impressed enough to leave with a hope of playing there someday.

Not capped by the Springboks, Du Toit (6ft, 103kg) will be vital cover if Tom Dunn receives another Eddie Jones’ England call up during the Guinness Six Nations, and with 101 lineout wins to his name last season in the Guinness PRO14 – the second-best in the league – he certainly won’t be lacking in the set-piece department.

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The 27-year-old is yet to be officially announced by Bath, but the deal is believed to be fait accompli for the marauding front-rower. Director of Rugby Hooper will be no doubt eager to add to their squad depth to their squad as he looks to better their semi-final play off finish in last season’s league campaign.