Jean-Luc du Preez

Versatile forward Jean-Luc du Preez joined Sale Sharks on a permanent deal in 2019 along with twin brother Dan, after impressing on an initial three month loan contract.

The twins arrived in Manchester from Durban-based Super Rugby side Cell C Sharks, where they had played alongside older brother – and now Sale teammate – Rob.

Jean-Luc has won 13 international caps since making his Springbok debut as a replacement against Wales, in Cardiff, in 2016.

Dan made his debut a year later and, in doing so, made history. The twins’ dad Robert played seven tests for South Africa and when Dan took the field against France, it was the first time in South African rugby that two sons of a Springbok had played Test rugby.

And two sons became three the following year when fly-half Rob made his international debut as a replacement.

In November 2018 Jean-Luc signed a short-term deal with Sale Sharks as injury cover, making six appearances in total for the club and scoring one try before returning to Durban in January. In July 2019, Sale Sharks confirmed that Jean-Luc and Dan had signed permanent deals.

In June 2021 Jean-Luc was one of five Sale Sharks players to be named in the Springbok squad for the series against the British and Irish Lions.

Speaking after the announcement of the squad, South Africa’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus said: “The nice thing about the Sale set-up is there are a lot of South African guys who have played and been in the mix.

“Now Jean-Luc and his brother Dan, as well as Coenie are also in the mix.

“It hasn’t always been a lot, but these are guys we think that are in sync, guys we have access to, guys that play regularly with Faf [de Klerk].

“When guys are playing a game plan and you have to rely on a nine who in the Springboks, let’s say with Jean-Luc, Dan and Coenie, they are three new guys but they must jump together in the line-out and scrum together and then in general play they must mix with Faf.”