The details of Bok Thomas du Toit's end-of-season South Africa return

Springbok tighthead Thomas du Toit is returning home to South Africa when his contract with Bath runs out at the end of the season after signing a four-year contract with his former club, the Sharks.

World Cup winner du Toit, 30, in the summer rejected a huge offer from Top 14 side Union Bordeaux-Bègles that would have made him one of the Springboks’ highest-paid players.

Bath were keen to retain the services of the powerhouse front-row, who was a cornerstone in the side that won the PREM Rugby title and the European Challenge Cup last season.

Du Toit, who was in the 2024 Premiership team of the year, has made over 50 appearances for Bath and is due back in the West Country after starting five of the Springboks’ six games in their Rugby Championship-winning campaign.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Bath

38 - 17

Full-time

Gloucester

All Stats and Data

He made 116 appearances for the Sharks between making his debut against the Cheetahs in July 2014 and 2023, when he moved to Somerset after short-term stints with Munster and Toulouse in France.

Du Toit is returning to Durban to be nearer to family, but has also been lined up as a replaced for veteran back-to-back World Cup winner Vincent Koch, who will be 36 next March.

Koch, who ironically moved to the Sharks when Du Toit joined Bath, is thought to want to continue playing for at least one more season and has been linked with a move to R360 to join one of their proposed franchises.

One of the big reasons for the Sharks wanting him back is his versatility in being able to play on both sides of the front, which he is more than happy to do.

Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan was reluctant to divulge any information about the move when recently asked.

“It’s great to see Thomas back, I think he’s had a fantastic season with South Africa,” he said.

“The only thing I can say is I’ve never reacted to speculation so I’m not about to start at this stage. There will be many stories in the coming months about many players but, as per our process, once we as a club want to say about any player and any coach then we’ll say something but no comment at this stage.”