Leicester Tigers have announced the arrival of Corné Beets to the club, as the Junior Springbok of the Year has signed on a long-term deal. The 20-year-old is considered one of the best prospects in South African rugby having been a standout performer at number eight in last year’s U20 World Championships.
Beets scored a try in the third-place playoff against England, in what was a definite breakthrough performance. The back-row played his schools rugby at Paarl Gymnasium in the Western Cape province of South Africa, the same school as future teammate, double-World Cup winner Handré Pollard.
Corné Beets said: “The incredible opportunity to become a member of the prestigious Leicester Tigers family excites me. “
“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 teammates 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.”
Leicester Tigers General Manager Richard Wilks said: “We’re happy that a player with Corné’s potential will be joining our club and we’re excited to see what he can become in our program.”
“We’ve seen the growth in players like Hanro Liebenberg and Jasper Wiese at Tigers and we’ve no doubt Corné 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, Corné’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 said: “We’re really pleased to have Corné join us next season.”
“Watching him play, he looks like a Leicester Tigers player. He’s tough, he’s physical and has a really high work rate and you those are characteristics that you want to see in a young player and from our conversations, he’s certainly got the right character to thrive at this club so we’re excited to welcome him to the group.”