Dynaboars statement: Signing of Springboks winger Kurt Lee Arendse

Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok winger Kurt Lee Arendse believes playing in Japan will make him a “better player” after his decision to join Sagamihara Dynaboars was officially announced by the club on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old South African will play in the fourth season of Japan Rugby League One which kicks off in December. The Dynaboars, who finished ninth last term but won twice more than in the previous season, host newly promoted Urayasu D-Rocks, featuring Arendse’s Springbok teammate Jasper Wiese, in their first match on December 22.

“The hard grounds in Japan and the general approach to the game, with its fast pace and plenty of ball movement, is going to suit me,” the former Blitz Bok Sevens flyer explained.

“Several of my teammates with the Springboks have or are in Japan and they all say the same thing: it’s a great experience playing there, but also living in the country, as it is completely different from the path most South African players tread, where they play at home, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, or in France.

“I’m really looking forward to the rugby, but also the cultural side of the experience, and seeing how it goes. Hopefully I can make a difference for the Dynaboars, who I know are a well-regarded club in the League, did well last season and are ambitious about climbing up the table.”

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Arendse will arrive at Sagamihara – a city in the Kanagawa Prefecture which is the fifth most populous suburb of the Greater Tokyo area – having helped the Bulls to the final of last season’s United Rugby Championship before featuring in a successful campaign by the Springboks.

The Boks play Tests against Scotland (November 10 in Edinburgh), England (November 16 in London) and Wales (November 23 in Cardiff) to finish the year, and will depart for the northern hemisphere having lost just twice in 10 Tests so far in 2024.

Arendse is one of eight players from the Rugby Championship winners who will head to League One at the completion of the tour, while three other Springbok regulars are returning to Japan after having missed much of the international season due to injury.

“There will be a lot of familiar faces around, that’s for sure,” Arendse said. “That will be good. Having so many guys so close, who know Japan and have already experienced every aspect of living and playing rugby there should help me to settle in and get to know my surroundings.

“It will also be good to hear a bit of Afrikaans being spoken every now and then, which I am sure will be the case when we play against each other!”

Dynaboars coach Glen Delaney believes the acquisition of the experienced winger will be a big boost for his side, as well as providing something special for the fans. “You only have to look at Kurt Lee out on the field, his agility, speed, and strength to beat a defender. He’s going to be a great asset, someone everyone will learn a lot off, especially our home-grown players,” Delaney said.

“As a coaching group, we are looking forward to working with him to get the best out of his ability. We have no doubt our Japanese fans will love the way he plays the game, and we know he will be fully engaged in getting to know them.

“To have a player of his calibre choose the Dynaboars is a vote of confidence for our team, and a massive statement of intent from our club. Japan Rugby League One is rapidly developing in terms of its’ competitiveness and it is going to continue to attract leading players from around the world because of that. Signings such as this are a great advertisement, not just for the Dynaboars, but for the league itself.”