Springbok Uzair Cassiem lands new club just 18 days after signing for another

Former South Africa No.8 Uzair Cassiem has signed a one-year deal with Pro D2 outfit Oyonnax, bringing to an end a bizarre month regarding his employment.

The 35-year-old brought his four-year spell with Bayonne to a close at the end of the Top 14 season, with his final appearance coming in the quarter-final victory over ASM Clermont-Auvergne.

The eight-cap Bok had originally signed for Nationale outfit Nice, with the club announcing the move on July 2. However, RugbyPass reported that he was looking to back out of the deal with both Biarritz and Oyonnax interested in him, while Nice were demanding a €200k payment for his release.

Just 18 days after Nice announced the deal to recruit the international, his move to Oyonnax was confirmed, becoming the seventh club of his career.

Arrivée ! 🔥

Uzair Cassiem (@uzaircassiem8) :

🏉 3ème ligne

– 189 cm
– 112 kg
– 35 ans

Bienvenue à Nice Uzair !#IssaNissa #NissaRugby pic.twitter.com/hCaAhT13eM

— Nissa Rugby (@nissarugby) July 2, 2025

“I am delighted to see Uzair join our club,” said manager Fabien Cibray.

“Through a recruitment focused on youth, he will be the ‘experienced touch’ that will complete our squad. His sunny side will bring a lot of energy and leadership to our team.

“He is a complete, powerful player, capable of both breaking tackles and making plays around him. All of this will, I am sure, bring added value and complementarity to our team.”

✍️ ???, ???, ?’??? ??????? ???? ??? ??????? !

Il apportera toute son expérience à notre équipe, @uzair_cassiem est un nouveau 🔴⚫ et vient renforcer la formation oyonnaxienne.

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— Oyonnax Rugby (@OyonnaxRugby) July 20, 2025