Glasgow Warriors sign South African back-row forward Henco Venter from Sharks

Glasgow Warriors have signed the South African back-row forward Henco Venter for next season.

Henco Venter is leaving Cell C Sharks to join Glasgow Warriors. (Photo by Steve Haag Sports/Shutterstock)

The 31-year-old, who is believed to have agreed a two-year deal, is making the move from the Cell C Sharks, subject to a visa. He is well known to Franco Smith, Glasgow’s head coach and fellow South African, and is an ex-team-mate of Warriors forwards JP du Preez and Sintu Manjezi. Venter, who is capable of playing across the back row, joined the Sharks in summer 2020 and has made 48 appearances for the Durban-based club in Super Rugby, the Currie Cup and the BKT United Rugby Championship. He previously played for Toyota Cheetahs and Toshiba Brave Lupu. The 6ft 4in forward has featured six times in the URC this season and is described on the Glasgow website as “an abrasive ball-carrier and physical defender”. He is the nephew of the late Ruben Kruger, a Rugby World Cup winner with South Africa in 1995 who died in 2010 after battling brain cancer for 10 years.

“Glasgow has always been a club I’ve enjoyed watching and admired the way they approach their rugby,” Venter told glasgowwarriors.org. “The way the team has played this season in particular under Franco has been so great to see, and seeing the results and how much everyone is enjoying their rugby makes Glasgow a place you want to come and play. Franco plays a winning brand of rugby, but he also understands that it’s a brand of rugby that people in the stands need to enjoy coming to see. You can see how he’s blended that this season with the coaches at Glasgow and I can’t wait to get involved.

“I’ve also played with both JP and Sintu so I spoke to them before signing, and they just said how great a place Glasgow is to both live and play. The enthusiasm they spoke about the club and the city just makes me can’t wait to get started. I’m happy to do whatever it takes to help the team win – I enjoy being physical in attack and defence, and I love to have the ball in hand. An attacking mindset is always more fun.”

Smith added: “Henco is not only a top-class rugby player, but also a first-rate person. He’s an incredibly hard-working athlete and his ability to cover all three back-row positions will make him an invaluable asset to our squad next season. He leads from the front and we believe he will contribute a great deal to our squad as we move forward. We look forward to welcoming him to Scotstoun this summer.”