Sharks’ new midfield man Marius Louw will join the club in the summer after spending his whole career playing in South Africa – first with the Durban-based Sharks and then with the Lions, in Johannesburg.
It’s a well-trodden path for South Africans, with plenty of well-known and unheralded names from the Rainbow Nation making a mark in Salford in recent years.
But the 29-year-old, who regularly captains the Lions, says he had no plans to leave his homeland….until Sale and Alex Sanderson got in touch.
Speaking about the move for the first time, Marius said: “I joined the Lions in 2022 and my contract was coming to an end this summer, but I didn’t have any plans or expectations to leave.
“Then Sale asked to speak to me and it was an amazing feeling for a club like that to want to interview me and maybe take it further.
“The meeting with Alex was an amazing experience for me. We had such a good talk about the culture and environment at the club but in the city as well. We talked about how the city is and how the club is really trying to make a difference in the community.
“When the contract came through it was a feeling I can’t really explain. It’s such a prestigious club with a rich history and so many fantastic players and brilliant fans who care passionately. It’s clearly an amazing environment and I’m excited to do the best that I can.”
Marius joins a long list of his countrymen to have made the switch to Sale in recent years, with the Du Preez brothers and Ernst van Rhyn among his future teammates.
And while his new home might be a long way from Johannesburg, they won’t be the only friendly faces for Marius and his wife Kristen when they touch down in Manchester.
Marius said: “It is going to be a big move for us but I believe that you get out what you put in and if we go with the right mindset, we’ll make it work. It’s like going into a tackle – if you calculate it, go in flat out and commit then you’ll dominate.
“I’ve played with most of the South Africans at the club and I’ve been speaking to them about the move. Being able to chat to them and hear about the culture that is already
established at Sale has been great. I believe it’s something I can be a part of and hopefully, add value to.
“It’s nice to hear from them that they made the same move and have fitted in well at the club and in the city.
“I have family in England and my wife actually has a British passport because her dad was born in Manchester. In fact, her family comes from Salford so it feels like everything just aligned perfectly. They are really grateful and I don’t think we could have asked for a more perfect opportunity.
“Nothing was forced, it just happened and it feels like it’s meant to be.”
Despite Marius enjoying a successful career in South Africa, Sharks fans could be forgiven for knowing little about their new man.
So what can they expect from their new centre?
He added: “I see myself as a positive, contagious person and I try and bring energy to the game and to a team. I think people feed off that. I think defence is my strong point but being able to run good lines and carry the ball and distribute is something that I’ve been working on.
“I think things happen at the right time for you and that was the case with me, that it just happened at the right time, with the right club.
“I watch a lot of rugby and I love the Premiership, and I know the style that Sale play. I know they’re strong in defence, they get off the line quickly and they’re physical, with a big pack.
“I believe I’m entering my best years as a rugby player and it’s exciting to have the chance to experience something new. Sale have plenty of players with 50 or more international cap and I think they’ll have different perspectives that I want to learn from.
“To have the chance to learn from different players and play in a backline with guys like George Ford is really exciting.”
