Pieter-Steph du Toit is returning to South Africa after Toyota Verblitz confirmed a mutual early release from his contract on Friday. The 34-year-old spent five seasons with the Japanese club and is expected to join his new South African franchise after the Nations Championship campaign.
Du Toit cited family as the driving factor, stating he did not want to spend the upcoming season travelling back and forth between Japan and South Africa. Toyota Verblitz general manager Akitomo Goto praised his contribution, describing him as "one of the world's finest rugby players" who set high standards in training and match preparation and made a significant impact on and off the field.
Du Toit's return continues a trend of Springbok players coming back to the domestic game, following Manie Libbok's move to the Sharks and Malcolm Marx's return to the Bulls.