By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo: @BBCScrumV/Twitter.
Sale Sharks confirmed that Rob du Preez will leave the club at the end of the current season to pursue an opportunity abroad.
He is going to join French Top 14 outfit Aviron Bayonnais, where he will reunite with his former Sharks team-mate Manu Tuilagi.
Du Preez plays at fly-half or centre and has made more than 160 appearances for the Sharks since signing initially on loan in 2018, before making the move permanent.
He holds the record for the most consecutive starts in Prem matches, with 76.
Du Preez, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign, said the decision to leave had been a “really difficult” one to make.
“There will be plenty of time for talking at the end of the season – all. my focus and commitment now is on making sure this is a season to remember for everyone associated with Sale Sharks,” he told the club website.
Du Preez started his career with the Western Province and the Stormers in Cape Town, making 57 appearances over four years, scoring 483 points.
He then went on to join the Sharks in Durban at the start of the 2018 season, where he won the Currie Cup under the tutelage of his father Rob Snr, before spending a short time on loan with Sale in the Prem at the end of the year.