Corne Beets scores a try during the World Rugby U20 Championship third-place playoff match between South Africa and England at Athlone Sports Stadium on 14 July 2023 in Cape Town. (Roger Sedres/Gallo Images/World Rugby)
- Promising Junior Springbok Corne Beets is off to England to play for Leicester Tigers.
- The 20-year-old was recently named Junior Springbok Player of the Year.
- The No 8 will be a replacement for Jasper Wiese, who is set to leave Leicester.
- For more sports news, go to the News24 Sport front page.
English club Leicester Tigers on Tuesday announced the signing of Junior Springbok star Corne Beets on a long-term deal.
Beets, 20, was standout performer at No 8 in last year’s U20 World Championships, scoring a try in the third-place playoff against England.
His exploits saw him crowned Junior Springbok Player of the Year at the recent SA Rugby awards.
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“The incredible opportunity to become a member of the prestigious Leicester Tigers family excites me,” the former Paarl Gymnasium scholar said in a statement.
“It is an honour and a privilege to bring my enthusiasm and expertise to this legendary club, and I am eager to take on the challenges that lie ahead while creating lifelong memories with my team-mates and the amazing Leicester Tigers supporters.
“I’m excited to fully immerse myself in Leicester’s rich culture and becoming a proud member of the community.”
Beets is set to help fill the void left by Springbok World Cup-winner Jasper Wiese, who will be leaving Leicester at the end of the current season.
Leicester Tigers’ general manager, Richard Wilks, welcomed their new signing: “We’re happy that a player with Corne’s potential will be joining our club and we’re excited to see what he can become in our programme.
“We’ve seen the growth in players like Hanro Liebenberg and Jasper Wiese at Tigers and we’ve got no doubt Corne will dedicate himself as those players have and grow from strength to strength at the club.
“From our meetings with him and from his reputation, Corne’s also got the right personality and character for our club, and we’re just excited for him to join us.”
Leicester Tigers head coach, Dan McKellar, added: “We’re really pleased to have Corne join us next season.
“He’s a young man who’s obviously got all the tools to play the game at the highest level and his job will be to apply himself every day with the goal of getting better.
“As a player, you like his athleticism, his set-piece and that coming through that South African pathway, you know he’ll play a style that suits Leicester Tigers, so we’re excited to work with him and see him grow in our programme.”
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