Leinster eye up Springbok to replace Jordie Barrett

Damian Willemse is on Leinster’s wish list to replace Jordie Barrett when the All Blacks star’s six-month sabbatical in the Irish capital ends at the end of the season.

The versatile playmaker, who operates at fly-half, full-back, and inside centre, was part of the Springboks’ squad that secured back-to-back World Cup titles, starting the 2024 victory over the All Blacks at full-back.

Willemse, 26, remains under contract at the Stormers until October 2027, thanks to a groundbreaking five-year deal announced in 2022. He has made 97 appearances for John Dobson’s side since debuting in 2017, just months after finishing school at Paul Roos Gymnasium, and helped them win the United Rugby Championship title in 2022.

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A member of the Springboks squad that defeated the British & Irish Lions in 2021, he had a three-game spell with Premiership heavyweights Saracens in 2019, covering for the injured Alex Goode and Max Malins. He is one of the best-paid players in South Africa, thanks to a sponsorship deal with international glass packaging giants Ardagh, which earns him around £425,000 a year.

Leinster shocked the rugby world in April 2024 by agreeing to a short-term deal with Barrett, which began after the Autumn Nations Series last December. Billionaire Leinster superfan Paul Coulson, who is also the largest individual shareholder in Ardagh and bought a stake in the Stormers last year, could help broker a deal for Willemse.

Willemse has hosted rugby clinics in South Africa with Leinster legend Johnny Sexton, who is close to Coulson and works as Chief of Staff at Ardagh. According to sources in Ireland and South Africa, Coulson wants Willemse to ply his trade at Leinster and may facilitate a move. A switch this summer or later cannot be ruled out.