Springbok flank Schalk Burger has signed a two-year deal with English club Saracens.

Burger, who is currently plying his trade in Japan, is set to join Saracens next season once he has completed his Vodacom Super Rugby commitments to the Stormers.

'I'm delighted to be joining Saracens,' Burger commented. 'I'm extremely excited to have the opportunity to play in both the Premiership and European Cup – two of the leading competitions in world rugby – for such a special club.

'It's an exciting challenge for me and my family and hopefully I can add a lot of value on and off the field to an already successful group of players and coaches. I'm looking forward to playing alongside my new teammates and playing in front of all the Saracens fans and getting to know everyone at Allianz Park.'

With Saracens needing to strengthen their loose forward depth, the recruitment of the 86-times capped Springbok is a significant coup for a club renowned for their South African player contingent.

'Schalk is a Springbok legend and will add a huge amount of experience and quality to our young English forwards,' Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall commented.

'We have always talked about having the right blend of experience and youth in our squad, so to be able to add one of the world's finest players to the group is extremely exciting news. By the beginning of next season we will have lost two highly experienced back row forwards in Ernst Joubert and Jacques Burger, so to have a player of Schalk's calibre coming into the squad is fantastic news. He is a man who has achieved everything there is to achieve in the game.'

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