South Africa international Lukhanyo Am signs contract extension with Sharks

Sharks have announced that South Africa international Lukhanyo Am has signed a three-year contract extension with the club.

Having started his early career with Border Bulldogs and went on to play for Falcons and Southern Kings, the 28-year-old made his debut for Cell C Sharks in 2016 with his Super Rugby debut coming a year later.

His contract will allow him to head to Japan for a short-term two-month stint with Kobe Steelers and in his absence Springboks captain Siya Kolisi will take the leadership.

Am made his international debut for South Africa in 2017 and has gone on to represent them in 26 Tests. He was also part of their victorious 2019 World Cup campaign where he made six starts for the Springboks.

“Building a world class squad that fights for success and performs with distinction is all about identifying talent, recruiting where necessary and above all, retaining your top players,” said The Sharks CEO Dr Eduard Coetzee.

“We are thrilled that Lukhanyo has thrown his full support behind what we at The Sharks are trying to achieve and he has committed his substantial abilities and player excellence to The Sharks for the next three years.

"His contribution to the Cell C Sharks has been phenomenal and we look forward with eager anticipation to the next few years with him as an integral member of the team.”

“At The Sharks, we want to provide our players with opportunities, be it bringing in new players or those already in the system".

Sharks are positioned eighth in the United Rugby Championship table with five wins from 10 matches.