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Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok is set to join the growing list of South Africans heading to Japan, with his likely future club having been revealed.
Rugby365 report that Libbok appears set to sign with the Hanazono Liners, the Osaka-based outfit currently placed third in Division Two of Japan Rugby League One.
The move comes as the Liners look to fill the void left by Quade Cooper, who announced in March that he would leave the club at the end of the season. Cooper joined the Liners in 2019 after departing the Melbourne Rebels and has been linked with a bid to play flag football for Australia at the LA Games in 2028.
Libbok won’t lack for high-quality halfbacks should he join the Japanese side however. Cooper’s fellow Australian Will Genia remains part of the Liners’ squad.
According to Rugby365, no formal agreement has been signed between the Stormers and the Liners. However, it is suggested that the Cape Town franchise would not oppose the deal.
South African players taking sabbaticals in Japan is a well-trodden path. Kurt-Lee Arendse and Adre Smith are among those to have recently taken advantage of such opportunities.
Franchises see these moves as a way to offer players financial rewards while maintaining longer-term ties to their services.
The Stormers currently have strong options at flyhalf, including Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse and Jurie Matthee. This depth is thought to be a factor in the Stormers’ willingness to allow Libbok a stint abroad.
Rumours of Libbok’s potential move to Japan have been circulating for some time. Rugby365 is the first to reveal the specific club now being linked to the 27-year-old, with RugbyPass having confirmed his Stormers exit last month.
Libbok has not played since January after he sustained a knee injury during the United Rugby Championship Round 10 fixture against Leinster in Dublin.
The Springbok departed the field in the 38th minute of that match and was replaced by centre Jonathan Roche, who stepped in at flyhalf during the 12-36 defeat.
There are currently no South Africans on the Liners’ playing roster. The last was Damian de Allende, who played for the club in 2015.
