Western Province have finally confirmed a widely acknowledged open secret by announcing the signing of Springbok lock Pieter-Steph du Toit.

Although Du Toit grew up in the Cape, he joined the Sharks out of school, making his debut in 2012 while earning his first Bok cap off the bench the year after.

However, in July the Sharks announced that Du Toit would be leaving the franchise at the end of this year, and it was finally announced on Monday that he would be furthering his career with the Stormers and Western Province, which has been known for some time.

Having recently announced the signings of props JC Janse van Rensburg and JP Smith, as well as capturing the signature of Springbok winger Cornal Hendricks, WP director of rugby Gert Smal said the recruitment of Du Toit was another significant acquisition.

‘We are excited that Pieter-Steph has decided to return to the Cape, where he was born and raised, and so too is Cornal Hendricks – a tall, fast wing who is a proven performer at international level.

‘JC [Janse van Rensburg] is an experienced loosehead prop with plenty top-level captaincy experience, so we believe all our signings will bolster us in key areas.

‘We want Western Province rugby to continue to attract the biggest names in South Africa and someone like Pieter-Steph du Toit certainly fits the bill.’

Smal said they had set their sights on a few more player signings, while he also mentioned that they would be concluding their search for a Super Rugby coach in the near future, with Eddie Jones having been tipped as the successor to Allister Coetzee.

Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images