Werner Kok to become the first Ulster signing for 2024/25
Ulster are poised to confirm that they have made ex-Springboks sevens star Werner Kok their first signing for next season when his contract with the Sharks in Durban runs out later this year.
Fissler Confidential reported a couple of weeks ago that Kok, the 31-year-old who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, was in advanced discussions with Ulster about a move to Belfast.
Kok made over 280 appearances for the Springboks sevens and operates on the wing and outside centre in 15s, which he has specialised in since 2020. If he is fit, he is seen as a consistent week in, week out performer.
Having also played for Western Province in South Africa and Toulouse in France, he has scored five tries in 12 appearances for the Durban-based Sharks this season. However, he is set to follow Sale Sharks-bound Le Roux Roets out of the club when the season is over.
John Plumtree’s Sharks are bottom of the URC table with only one win and 10 defeats in the league. They are busy remodelling their squad for next season by bringing in Trevor Nyakane, Jason Jenkins, Emmanuel Tshituka, Jordan Hendrikse and Andre Esterhuizen.
That remodel left Kok, who was earning £160,000 a year, surplus to requirements and his signing will be welcomed by Ulster, who are undergoing major cost-cutting after announcing £900,000 losses last year and recently jettisoning Dan McFarland, who will be replaced by Richie Murphy, the Ireland U20s.
The Irish province will lose several players – including Billy Burns to Munster and Will Addison, who has been speaking to his former club Sale Sharks after being left free to leave Ravenhill.
Some hours after RugbyPass published its story on Wednesday morning, Ulster confirmed that Kok was indeed joining them on a two-year deal. Bryn Cunningham, their head of rugby operations and recruitment said: “Werner will add something different to our group with his vast experience across the sevens game and 15s, where he has showcased his exciting brand of rugby.
“He will fit in well with the talented backs in the squad, as we look to develop our options in the backfield. Werner’s competitiveness and tenacity in both an attacking sense and defensively will fit right in with the energy we want this team to play with.”
Kok added: “I’m looking forward to starting a new adventure in my career with Ulster and can’t wait. I want to thank Ulster and the team for this incredible opportunity. I hope to make you proud on and off the field.
“Moving from South Africa will be a big change for me and my wife but it’s a challenge that we are very excited for. See you soon Belfast!”
Comments on RugbyPass
Honest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
207 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
18 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
18 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
207 Go to comments“Teams would generally have three coaches below their head honcho; attack coach, defence coach, forwards coach” do they? I’m not sure what the NZ set up is tbh, but the other 4 sides top 5 sides all have very different structures to the one outlined in the article! As well as attack, defence, and forwards coaches, SA, Ireland, and France also have specialist scrum coaches. England have a specialist scrum coach too, but arguably don’t have a forwards coach, with that role taken on by Borthwick. SA also have a backs coach in addition to defence and attack, and Ireland and England have fitness coaches, with England also having two skills coaches.
2 Go to commentsWorst article I've read in a while. Trying to disguise a backhand slap as a compliment. The whole article is a bit weird and negative. I think South African men are emotional in general… think Clad le Clos’s father 2012 London Olympics.
2 Go to commentsIreland are going to win the world cup.
18 Go to commentsIt was the strangest result ever. Etzebeth should've been yellow card for his cynical retiring move and a penalty try. Birth second half tries by the Allblacks were fantastic and the TMO operating outside the law to rule out the first try was egregious. Yes, the boks got the win but it was through some bizarre officiating that allowed them to sneak home against 14 men that dominated them. The quieter Bok supporters know and acknowledge the Allblacks were the better and dominant side. Justifying the win because they beat a pre world cup Allblacks selection is silly.
207 Go to commentsA very English thing to do hey Courtney, blerrie kant
4 Go to commentsIt sounds like Andrew is trying to convince himself or has just lost all perspective. The team did look jaded for the last couple of games of the six nations but a few things were wrong there. Italy tackled their hearts out and made Ireland work hard for every try. Outsmarted by Scotland? Huh? Ireland got held up over the line about 4 times. Scotland did nothing on attack the whole game other than one breakaway near the end. A recharge and reset is needed which they hopefully will have had before the SA your.
18 Go to commentsIncluding SA and Argie teams was great for the quality of rugby, but middle of the night games and player travel/ jet lag make that unworkable. I think that SA in Europe and Argie building an American league with USA, Canada etc would be better long term. If Oz can't sustain Rebels then next cab off the rank should be a Japanese team. Keep regional comps to time zones, both club and test rugby. Then existing test windows for test tours plus RWC.
6 Go to commentsMisogynists have feelings too!
2 Go to commentsCrowd sizes of the URC v the Premiership must be a big factor.
1 Go to commentsWell you’ve made a proper tit of yourself, haven’t you! 😂
173 Go to commentsBen it's beyond their comprehension-
207 Go to commentsThanks Sam. Interesting read. Harder or easier for Parling to come into a completely new setup where performance was abysmal last time out? I’d suggest easier to be better but, as you suggest, will be a lot to do with how much latitude he’s granted. Hopefully all he needs. With hybrids like Holloway, Hannigan, Swinton and Leota as options at 6 we have the basics for a strong lineout. BPA returning means we have good options at 2 also with Faessler, Porecki and Uelese, although Jordan is a scrumming beast rather than a dart thrower. I’m typically a pessimist or realist but that’s never applied to the Wallabies
2 Go to commentsMad how this somehow contained absolutely zero information.
4 Go to commentsI’m looking forward to attending the Twickenham match, I don’t think it will have a bearing on the outcome of the grand prize itself but it will tell us more about each teams’ preparation and game plan. It’s hard to look past one of the big four (I’m including Canada) lifting the trophy in 2025 but sport is a curious thing, there will still be twists and turns in road ahead.
3 Go to comments