Bok lock Eben Etzebeth continues to be a costly signing for the Sharks.
The Sharks on Tuesday confirmed that the 34-year-old, who only recently returned from a 12-week suspension, suffered a hip injury in his comeback match against Connacht on 3 April and has been ruled out for two months.
Etzebeth will therefore miss the Sharks’ remaining four Vodacom URC matches of the regular season, as well as the playoffs should they qualify.
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Etzebeth has endured a stop-start spell in Durban, with injuries, Springbok commitments and suspension limiting his impact since joining from Toulon in July 2022.
This latest setback further dents his availability record.
By the end of the URC regular season, Etzebeth will have played 32 matches out of a possible 99 across URC and EPCR competitions (32%).
With Etzebeth reportedly earning R15-million a year, his four-year deal (to the end of this season) amounts to R60-million.
Cost breakdown:
- Cost per minute: R27,536
- Cost per 80-minute match: R2,203,000
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
The post What Sharks paid for Eben – what they got appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
