Magners League
Springbok Pienaar heading to Ulster
Scrum.com
May 27, 2010
South Africa's Ruan Pienaar off loads the ball in training, South Africa training session, Old Albanians RFC, St Albans, England, November 16, 2009
Ruan Pienaar will play his rugby for Ulster next season © Getty Images
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Ulster have completed a major transfer coup with the signing of South African utility back Ruan Pienaar on a two-year deal.

The Springbok will join BJ Botha and Johann Muller in the Ulster squad next season, although negotiations for his release are ongoing between the Magners League side and the Sharks.

Pienaar, 26, has won 36 caps at fly-half, scrum-half and fullback and played four games in the Springboks' victorious 2007 Rugby World Cup campaign.

The move throws Pienaar's international future into doubt just over a year out from the World Cup in New Zealand, although he is slated to start at fly-half for South Africa against Wales at the Millennium Stadium on June 5 in a team featuring five overseas players.

"Bringing Ruan to Ulster is a massive statement of our ambition to be competing with the top teams in the Magners League and ERC," Ulster's operations director David Humphreys said.

"He is one of the most naturally gifted players in world rugby and having had huge experience at international level with the Springboks, we believe Ruan will help Ulster achieve success over the next couple of seasons."

© Scrum.com

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