Skolars clinch major signing coup

London Skolars believe they have pulled off a major coup after finalising the capture of one of the rising young stars of South African rugby. The Wood Green-based club announced the capture of 22-year-old Desi Kadima during the half-time break of Sunday?s Challenge Cup tie at New River Stadium.

Kadima is an outside back with a wealth of representative experience, having represented his country at both codes of rugby. His union experience includes appearances for South Africa at schoolboy and under-19s level, as well as spells with leading provincial sides the Blue Bulls and the North-West Leopards. He also has an impressive rugby league pedigree, however, having played four Tests for his country and emerging as the stand-out player within South African Rugby League with the Northern Bulls. Skolars chairman Hector McNeil commented: ?We are genuinely excited by this signing and see it as an indication of our ambition to make continuing progress as a professional club.

?With our position in the south of England, it?s necessary for us to spread our net far and wide when searching for new players and we believe we?ve done that by dipping into what we believe is a massive untapped pool of potential rugby league talent in South Africa.

?We see this as a landmark signing in the development of our club and believe that many people will sit up and take notice once the players? credentials are made public.?

The move is part of a joint initiative between the South African Rugby League (SARL) and 1895 International to place leading South African players with National League clubs.

The Skolars? new signing will join fellow compatriots Rubert Jonker and Mario Du Toit at New River Stadium in Alex Smits and Marcus Tobin?s fast-improving squad.