Marcel van der Merwe: London Irish sign former Springbok prop forward
- Published
Six of Marcel van der Merwe's seven Springbok caps came as a replacement
London Irish have signed former South Africa prop Marcel van der Merwe.
The 30-year-old moves to the capital having spent time at Champions Cup finalists La Rochelle last season while on a short-term deal.
He has previously spent four seasons at Toulon, where he played almost 100 games and spells at South African sides the Cheetahs and Bulls.
Van der Merwe won seven caps for the Springboks between 2014 and 2015 but did not make the 2015 World Cup.
The club has not disclosed the length of Van der Merwe's contract at the Exiles.
"Marcel is a key addition to the squad ahead of the start of the 2021-22 season," director of rugby Declan Kidney told the club website.
"He will bring great experience and quality to our pack and will complement the existing players we've already got in the forwards.
He played six times for the Bulls in last year's Super Rugby Unlocked tournament before playing twice for La Rochelle in the Top 14 early last month.
"I'm very excited - it's a new chapter in my career," Van der Merwe told the club website.
"I've played English teams quite a lot throughout my time in France, so I know what to expect of the league and everything it throws up. I can't wait to get going with London Irish."