Jacques Vermeulen, currently playing for Exeter Chiefs, is set to join Sale Sharks next season.
With Sale proving to be a more competitive team in recent years, the South African back-row sees this move as a potential gateway to reigniting his international career.
New Team, New Opportunities
Speaking to BBC Sport, Vermeulen shared his hopes of one day representing South Africa at the highest level:
“I still want to play international rugby. If I ever get the opportunity to play for the Springboks, it would be a dream come true.”
He believes being part of a strong, trophy-contending team like Sale could help him catch the attention of the national selectors.
“New season, new team… Sale has some really good players. If you win trophies with a team, it becomes much easier to be selected at the international level.”
“We’re seeing this now with Juarno Augustus at Northampton Saints — he was never really in the picture, but then he played in the Champions Cup final and got called up to the Springboks.”
“It just shows that playing in finals and semi-finals opens the door to higher honours.”
Frustration with Exeter’s Decline
Vermeulen did not shy away from expressing his disappointment over Exeter’s recent form. After years of reaching finals, the club will finish this season in ninth place.
“It’s been really frustrating,” he admitted.
“For three years, you’re playing in finals every season and building strong friendships. Then, in one off-season, you lose almost all your teammates.”
“Most of the guys I played with for the past three years are gone. A bunch of new players come in, and especially at Exeter, with the university setup, you have a lot of young lads — it’s hard to connect with them.”
“They’re all good guys, but they still need to learn how to win games, and what areas to improve on. That will come in time, but I just thought to myself: ‘These lads need to write their own stories.'”
A Fierce Farewell Against Future Teammates
In a twist of fate, Vermeulen’s final match for Exeter will be against his future club, Sale Sharks, this Saturday — a team still chasing a place in the Premiership play-offs.
Despite his imminent transfer, Vermeulen insists there will be no holding back.
“Now I need to earn their respect, and that starts with how I play on Saturday.”
“I’ll be flying into them on Saturday and doing my best.”
“It’s all about earning their respect, so I’ll go full blaze and give it everything I’ve got.”