The Sharks have confirmed the signing of flyhalf Manie Libbok, who will join the Durban franchise in July 2027 after completing his current commitments with Japanese club Hanazono Kintetsu Liners.
Libbok returns to the Sharks having previously featured for the club during the 2020/21 season. He spent four seasons at the Stormers after that, winning the URC title in its inaugural season under John Dobson, before his move to Japan. He has also had stints with the Bulls across his career.
Sharks head coach JP Pietersen was emphatic about what Libbok brings to the setup. "Manie is a gamechanger and a player maker. That's exactly the kind of player we want driving our game," Pietersen said, adding that Libbok's hunger to contribute to something beyond his own performance was what stood out most in their conversations.
Libbok himself cited Pietersen's vision as a decisive factor. "When I chatted with JP and heard his vision for the team, I knew straight away that there's something special developing here," he said. "This is a club that isn't afraid to do things differently. I'm all in."
CEO Shaun Bryans framed the deal as a statement of intent. "Securing a player of Manie's quality on a multi-year deal shows where this club is going," Bryans said. "In addition to developing high-quality players through our system, that means selectively attracting the best talent globally."