Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Gloucester re-sign Japan bound hooker Marais

Franco Marais (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Gloucester Rugby have confirmed that Japan-bound Franco Marais will return to Kingsholm until the end of the season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Marais is among four Gloucester players that are heading to the Japanese Top League. Tom Marshall, Franco Mostert and Owen Williams will are also heading to the far east; while former head coach Johan Ackermann also left the club to take up a position with the NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes in July.

The 27-year-old hooker has previously made 35 appearances for the Cherry & Whites and he will now look to add to that tally before heading to the Red Hurricanes in the Japanese Top League at the conclusion of the 2019-20 Gallagher Premiership campaign.

Video Spacer

Jim Hamilton picks his Lions XV

Video Spacer

Jim Hamilton picks his Lions XV

The 6’1, 108g front-rower will re-join the squad for training on Monday, as preparations continue for the eagerly anticipated restart.

Marais provided real competition for places in the hooker position as he made 19 first team appearances in his first season at Kingsholm, including 16 in the Gallagher Premiership.

Described by the Sharks Super Rugby franchise as a player ‘destined for a big career’, Marais was part of the South African U20 squad that won the World Rugby U20 Championship on home soil in 2012, before going on to make his Sharks debut that season in both the Absa Currie Cup and then into Super Rugby.

Marais began the 2018 Super Rugby season as the Sharks’ first-choice hooker, and impressed in the opening rounds with his work at the lineout, physicality around the field and prowess around the breakdown area.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

H
Hellhound 40 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Actually you need to read my responses properly. The response on which you responded is actually aimed at CO, another responder. Go read my original response on Ben Smith's BS. He is a bloody joke, a wannabe. And so is any of that losers followers. If you talk crap all the time it try to clickbait like BS, then don't expect people to respect him.


Most people (not you of course) will never take him serious. We all see him exactly for who and what he is. Talking about victories for the French in 2017 and 2021. Most of those players isn't in the AB's team. In the game in the WC the AB's was fresh off a hiding from the Boks with their confidence so easy targets. Unsettled team with a coach that already lost his job. As if that is such a motivation, most players knowing under Robinson they will be dropped for his Crusaders players.


Not exactly the environment in which to claim WC honours. Yet, despite all that turmoil, that AB team that got thrashed by the Boks and lost to France, came back and made the WC Final. None of these things get mentioned. Oh no, that doesn't suit his narrative doesn't it? He needs to clickbait the SH teams as usual.


I'm not a violent man, not always, but that's a pathetic little worm I would break every bone in his body, and each sound of breaking bone would give me as much pleasure as a win for the Boks. I would record the sound of his breaking bones and use it as a new ringtone. That is how much respect I have for idiot clickbaiters like him.


Instead of proper articles like the rest out there, all he mostly dish up is tripe. He should change his name to Tripe Smith. That is a much better description of the weasel. Is that dissing enough for you? Next time, actually read to who my responses are aimed at and read their responses as to what elicited that type of response from me.


I don't usually strip myself for any response by you. I actually agree with most everything you usually say and I'm sure you would be a much better writer than BS, however, make sure you read to who and why the responses there is from various people before commenting. As for Lomu, he is one of the greats, despite not getting a WC trophy. I only had the highest regard for that man. What a player and what a human being he was.

79 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Munster confirm the signing of an Irish rugby legend's son Munster confirm the signing of an Irish rugby legend's son
Search