Sharks' Deysel moves to Japan

Jean Deysel of South Africa poses before his team's Tri-Nations rugby union match against New Zealand at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on July 30, 2011

South African Jean Deysel, a loose forward for the Super Rugby club the Sharks, has joined Japan's Top League side Toyota Verblitz, the league said Wednesday. The 29-year-old, who has been capped three times for South Africa, will play flanker and number 8 for Toyota, the Top League said in a brief statement. According to the Sharks' website, Deysel has agreed a two-year deal with Toyota. "The decision to leave the Sharks, a franchise which means the world to me, has been one of my toughest decisions yet," he said, according to the website. "I have learnt so much from this place and I am eternally grateful to this franchise for their belief, support and guidance over the years," said Deysel, who has been capped 117 times for the Sharks since his debut in 2007.