Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok will return to the Sharks in July next year, the Durban-based club has confirmed. The 29-year-old will join on a multi-year contract once his commitments with the Kintetsu Liners in Japan Rugby League One's 2026-27 season are complete, according to SA Rugby magazine.
Libbok's arrival is the latest move in a rebuild overseen by Sharks coach JP Pietersen, who is assembling a squad he believes can compete for trophies.
Why it matters
The signing gives the Sharks a proven Test-level playmaker at a point in the club's history that its leadership describes as a new era. Libbok has 34 caps for South Africa and was part of a World Cup-winning squad, and he led the United Rugby Championship in points scored in two consecutive seasons.
For a Sharks side intent on pushing for silverware, his track record in both the URC and the international game represents a significant addition. Club CEO Shaun Bryans framed the deal as evidence of longer-term intent, saying that bringing in a player of Libbok's calibre on a multi-year contract demonstrates the direction the organisation is taking.
A familiar stop, and a productive one in Japan
Libbok is no stranger to Durban. He spent a short spell with the Sharks in 2020 and 2021 before moving to the Stormers, where he helped the Cape Town side claim the first URC title in the competition's history in 2021-22.
His most recent season came in Japan's second division, where SA Rugby magazine reports he made 14 appearances for the Kintetsu Liners, scoring seven tries and 165 points.
In a statement released by the club, Libbok said the Sharks were the only team he wanted to join for the next stage of his career. He described the club as one with a proud history and said speaking with Pietersen about the coach's plans convinced him something notable was taking shape in Durban. Libbok added that he had enjoyed his earlier time in the city and that returning with more experience behind him, as the club begins a new chapter, carried real meaning for him.
Pietersen's assessment focused on what Libbok brings to the Sharks' style of play. The coach called him a game changer and a playmaker, and said the flyhalf's speed, physicality and relentlessness match the identity the team is trying to establish week to week. Pietersen also said Libbok's appetite to help develop the squad alongside his teammates stood out during their conversations.
Bryans echoed that theme, saying the club has been explicit that its new era is about assembling a team capable of challenging for trophies and giving supporters something to be proud of.
What to watch
Libbok will remain with the Kintetsu Liners through the Japanese season before linking up with the Sharks in July. The question for Pietersen is how quickly the flyhalf settles into a backline that will be expected to deliver on the coach's attacking ambitions from the moment he arrives.
