PREM's most-travelled 'journeyman' revealed ... and it's not Billy Searle

Leicester’s man-of-the-moment Billy Searle appears to have finally found his rugby home at Welford Road, having spent most of his career on the move.

The fly-half is currently in the form of his life, scoring a hat-trick of tries and 25 points in the Tigers’ Champions Cup thrashing of Bayonne last weekend, to add to a string of impressive displays in the first half of the season.

While James O’Connor was Leicester’s headline close-season signing, Searle has eclipsed the Wallaby and arguably made the East Midlands club’s search for another high-profile 10 redundant.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Searle used every finger of both hands to count up the number of clubs he’s played for, and rugby’s leading statistician, Stuart Farmer, has confirmed 10 is correct, from Launceston to Leicester, and several stops in England and France in between.

However, Searle is a stick-in-the-mud compared to Michael van Vuuren, who holds the record for most clubs by any player with PREM Rugby experience on their CV.

Now carving out a good career for himself in coaching in the North East of England, the hooker turned out for 15 different clubs – two short of the world record in the pro era, held by fellow South African front-rower, Ross Geldenhuys.

Having started out at Free State Cheetahs, where he became the youngest player to play in the Currie Cup, van Vuuren eventually moved to Europe and played for some of the biggest clubs in a whistle-stop tour of the continent.

Coaches signing him and then being sacked was a recurring theme, recruitment policy sometimes worked against him, there were visa/citizenship issues, and he was also unfortunate to be at two clubs that went to the wall, most notably Wasps.

“Throughout my career, I have played for numerous clubs, each with their own good and not so good,” said van Vuuren, who counts Leicester, Bath, London Irish, Northampton, Wasps and Newcastle as former PREM clubs. “Great rugby towns and fans.

“Reflecting on my time at Leicester, I recall the unique hard-man/working class atmosphere, rich history, and the great people associated with the club; it was truly a great experience.

“Bath felt like royalty and featured an array of exceptionally talented players, and they are currently reaping the benefits of a lot of that talent.

“Northampton was another club that I thoroughly enjoyed playing for; awesome coaching staff and brilliant players.

“My time at Falcons presented its challenges, but it was an invaluable learning experience.

“However, if I had to choose a favourite, it would likely be Wasps.

“Initially, it was a four-week trial but that was extended and four weeks became two months, three months etc.

“Joe Launchbury has to be the best captain I ever played for and Lee Blackett is an incredible coach,” he added.

“A mark of how well he treats players is the fact I never wanted to leave the training facility at the end of the day and I couldn’t wait to get back there the next morning.

“The combination of the coaching staff and the players created a world-class environment and one I will always be grateful for. It was a true family.

“I truly believe that if Wasps had stayed afloat and kept a lot of that squad together they’d have been winning Premierships. Hopefully, we’ll see that great club take to the field again.”

Van Vuuren, a former Junior Springbok and team-mate of Siya Kolisi, retired in 2024,  having never made more than 25 appearances for any of his 15 clubs.

Now 34, the former Grey’s College pupil was planning on one last hurrah in MLR in the United States until he tore his MCL playing for Newcastle, which prompted the earlier-than-expected transition into coaching.

“I’ve got a few roles going on – with Alnwick RFC, Gateshead College, Northumbria University and Northumberland Men’s U20s – and it’s very rewarding seeing the players develop. Hopefully, I can make a positive impact on all the players’ lives.

Wylie Human, who also played for Northampton and Bath in the PREM, is second to van Vuuren on 14 clubs.

Michael van Vuuren’s clubs in order of appearance: