Former Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs flyhalf Tian Schoeman has signed for English club Bath on an 18-month deal.
Schoeman, who was one of the mainstays of the Cheetahs campaign in PRO14, has been in England since January 6 and has been isolating. He is likely to make his debut for the club against the Bristol Bears today (Fri).
Bath director of Rugby Stuart Hooper sees Schoeman’s arrival to join Welsh international Rhys Priestland as a good opportunity to develop some of the younger talents at the club. Bath has Orlando Baily, the current England under-20 flyhalf who has been part of their academy since he was 14.
Hooper said Schoeman would add value to the squad.
“Tian brings a wealth of experience from his time in Super Rugby and also in the PRO14.
“Of all the options considered during our scouting and recruitment work, Tian showed to have the attributes both as a person and a player to be a success here in the UK with Bath.”
“He has solid fundamentals with his kicking and tactical awareness but also the speed to challenge defenses with the ball in hand,” noted Hooper.
Schoeman was with the Bulls between 2013 and 2016, where he earned the nickname Jack Frost because of his white-blond hair. He moved to play for Bordeaux in the French Top 14 in 2017 and 2018 before returning to South Africa to represent the Cheetahs.
Bath is also expected to confirm the arrival of Cheetahs hooker Jacques du Toit week on a short-term deal.
