Sharks announce signing of Springbok scrumhalf Francois Hougaard

The Sharks signed former Springbok scrumhalf Francois Hougaard, on a short-term deal, the Durban side announced on Sunday.

The 35-year-old Blue Bulls legend can also play on the wing, as the Sharks look to boost their backline stocks for the coming season.

Hougaard spent the prime years of his career with the Bulls, representing the side from 2008 to 2015. In that time he made 136 appearances for the Pretoria outfit, scoring 210 points.

For the Springboks, Hougaard played 46 times from 2009 to 2017. He also scored 25 points for the Boks. With his fiery pace and handling skills, Hougaard also represented the SA Sevens team - the Blitzboks. To his credit, he was part of the Blitzboks team which won a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

t’s been a busy off-season for the Sharks. With the United Rugby Championship season approaching, the Sharks will be looking to have an improved season, and have already announced that New Zealander John Plumtree will be returning as head coach.

The Sharks confirmed the news in May, and added that another former coach at the Sharks, Dave Williams, will assist Plumtree.