Cheetahs star heads to England's Premiership

TRANSFER NEWS: Leicester Tigers have signed South African loose forward Jasper Wiese.

Wiese will link-up with his Tigers teammates at the conclusion of his contractual obligations with the Cheetahs.

Speaking about the addition of the 24-year-old, Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy said: "Jasper adds a versatile option for us in the back-row.

"He’s a tough, aggressive player and one we feel will fit in well at Tigers and work strongly alongside our current crop of back-rowers in the pack.

"We have some exciting young back-rowers working their way up the ranks at the club and Jasper’s addition will only help to improve them as well as heightening competition among them and fellow senior players, including our new additions in Cyle [Brink] and Luke [Wallace].

"It’s an exciting time here at Tigers and Jasper is another promising addition we will welcome to the group in the summer."

Wiese added: "Leicester is a world-class club.

"The move is right for me at this time and after speaking with the coaches, I felt assured in my position and excited by what I was told would be expected of me.

"I have to bring everything to the table and I have to work hard, that was very clear to me after speaking to Steve and Geordan."

When asked about what he would bring to the Tigers squad, Wiese said: "My game is built around physicality, ball carrying and defence.

"I want to be known for what I did on the field but also remembered what I bring off the field to the club.

"Everybody wants to be world class and the structures are in place at Tigers for everyone to become that."

The forward, who most recently was playing for the Cheetahs in the Pro14, was born in Upington in the Northern Cape of South Africa.

After impressing at schoolboy level, Wiese joined the Free State Cheetahs to compete in the Currie Cup competition and made his provisional debut in 2016.

In 2017, Wiese spent a season with Griffons before being promoted to the Cheetahs senior squad for the Pro14 and made his debut away to Connacht in Ireland.

A hard-working, physical loose forward, Wiese is the twelfth addition to the Tigers senior squad.