Northern Edition

Select Edition

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

The ex-Springboks' deal that ended the Wasps recruitment freeze

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Wasps’ new deal for Francois Hougaard, the ex-Springboks scrum-half, was the moment that ended the recruitment freeze that hit the club over the recent summer months. Having signed big names such as Vincent Koch and John Ryan last winter for the upcoming 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season, recruitment at the club was halted in the off-season due to financial concerns.

ADVERTISEMENT

Holding Wasps back has been their inability to repay on schedule the £35million bond debt that was due in May. That resulted in the brakes getting slammed on what director of rugby Lee Blackett was looking to do in the market ahead of the new season, including his wish to get Hougaard back on board.

Having signed very few players in comparison to the lengthy list that had left the club at the end of the 2021/22 season, there were fears that Wasps could be left short in certain areas heading into the new season. A month ago, Blackett was expecting to start the September 11 away date at Gloucester with only the players he had with him at the start of pre-season training.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

However, financial reassurance has since materialised from the Wasps board, green-lighting a fresh deal for Hougaard, the permanent signing of trialist Cam Dolan and sparking a search for a couple of more new recruits before the new Premiership campaign starts at Kingsholm.

Getting Hougaard back in the building especially pleased Blackett. The 34-year-old, who has 46 Test caps from his 2009-2017 Springboks career, signed on a one-year deal last summer from Worcester where he had spent six seasons, but terms were unable to be struck for 2022/23 until recently due to the freeze on recruitment at Wasps.

Related

Hougaard made a dozen appearances last season and switched from scrum-half to play most of his rugby on the wing, a versatility that Blackett was keen on having available at Wasps for a second season. “Really pleased,” said the director of rugby about being able to keep the South African on at the club. “We have only just managed to agree on a deal, (the delay was) more our side than his side.

“We always wanted him and we managed to agree on a deal a couple of weeks ago, so he has had two weeks in training. We always wanted Franny, we just had to make sure we could sort everything. Franny was always the one we wanted just because he can do both, he can play nine and can play on the wing for us.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We are always looking to improve (our squad). A month ago that would probably have been it but we are looking at the moment to get some bodies in.”

Regarding the attraction of Wasps to Hougaard, Blackett added: “It’s not only what he brings to everyone around here – he is really loved amongst the boys – it’s around what he brings as well in terms of positions he plays. He plays nine but the majority of his game time was on the wing. A lot of people saw how good he can be in that position last season.

“He had a couple of niggles at the start of last season but at this stage of his career he just loves wing and he embraced it. That is where he wanted to be and you can see the passion in him around that. I thought his defence in that area and then getting on the scoresheet a few times, you can see him playing with a smile on his face. He is loved in here and I know how much it means to him to re-sign with us.”

ADVERTISEMENT

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

Saitama Wildknights vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

Perry Baker in the house | HSBC Life on Tour | Los Angeles

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

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

S
Solenn Bonnet 4 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Where are they now? Danny Care's Harlequins team in first start for club Where are they now? Danny Care's Harlequins team in debut game for clu
Search