Recently released Lions prop Dylan Smith has officially joined Stade Francais as a medical joker, the French Top 14 club announced on Tuesday.
Smith was on Monday released from the Lions squad after the Johannesburg side announced that they had reached an agreement on a ‘mutual separation’ with him.
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The 27-year-old was officially confirmed by Stade Francais as their new signing as a medical joker, a term used to describe a player joining as injury cover until the end of the season.
There is the potential that the move could be made permanent after the current season.
Having spent his entire career in Johannesburg to this point, Smith played a total of 91 games for the Lions, including 52 Super Rugby games, helping the team into three Super Rugby finals between 2016 and 2018.
He also won the Currie Cup in 2015 and played in the 2014 and 2019 Currie Cup finals.
?? Dylan Smith rejoint le Club en qualité de joker médical !
??? En provenance des @LionsRugbyCo, le pilier gauche sud-africain s’engage jusqu’à la fin de la saison.
Welcome to Paris @Dy1Smith ! #SFParis
— Stade Français Paris (@SFParisRugby) March 16, 2021
Stade Francais are currently in eighth place in the Top 14, having won nine of their 19 games so far. The Parisian team also count scrumhalf James Hall and lock/flank Gerbrant Grobler as the other South Africans in their squad.
Photo: CHRISTIAAN KOTZE/AFP via Getty Images
