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Three more Springboks are heading abroad as South Africa’s rugby exodus continues apace.
According to Afrikaans outlet Rapport, three current internationals will be heading North East to Japan after the World Cup in October.
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Chief among them is 37 times capped Damian de Allende, who has been linked with a move to the Panasonic Wild Knights, the former club of Sonny Bill Williams and David Pocock. The contract will last from January to June of 2020, which encompasses the new Japan Top League season, which has been rescheduled to accommodate the Rugby World Cup.
Fellow Springbok centre Jessie Kriel, who has won 40 caps to date for the Boks, is also reportedly set to take up an offer in Japan. Kriel has apparently revealed his departure to the Blue Bulls.
The centre returned to the Bulls starting fifteen this weekend past after sitting out the previous round.
The least high-profile of the trio is prop Jason Jenkins. The twenty-three-year-old, who has won just one cap for the Springboks which came last November, is also set to make the switch to the Top League.
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Like Europe, Japan offers lucrative deals that easily out gun anything on offer in South Africa, but the short season and different playing style make it a lower risk, higher reward option for South African based Super Rugby players.
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A raft of players and coaches will be moving to, or rather staying in, Japan after the Rugby World Cup.
Last month All Blacks captain Kieran Read confirmed his impending post-World Cup arrival in Japan. Read confirmed he had signed his deal with Top League club Toyota Verblitz where former South African coach Jake White is currently the head coach.
Read said he will look back on his New Zealand Rugby career at the end of the year with pride. Current All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen’s future has been heavily speculated on for the last few years.
The 59-year-old confirmed last year that he will leave his role with the All Blacks after the RWC, having led them to triumph in 2015, as well as having been an assistant coach when the side won the 2011 edition of the tournament.
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It is widely expected that he will join Read at Verblitz.
