Houston signs South African lock Wynand Grassmann

Another South African has joined the Houston SaberCats for the 2022 Major League Rugby season. Second row Wynand Grassmann arrives via Moscow, where he spent the past two years playing for Slava. There are now 10 players from South Africa signed up by the Cats since the hiring of Heyneke Meyer.

Grassmann, who will turn 27 next week, began playing senior provincial rugby for Eastern Province in 2016. He switched to the SWD Eagles for the 2018 Currie Cup season and was a standout in the Varsity Cup with Nelson Mandela University’s Madibaz team.

While also comfortable in the back row, much of Grassmann’s professional rugby has been at lock. He joins a pair of San Diego arrivals in USA international Siaosi Mahoni and Keni Nasoqeqe as primary second row options revealed by Houston thus far, with draft pick Emmanuel Albert also available as cover.