Marco Van Staden joins Leicester Tigers from the 2021/22 season after five seasons of professional rugby in South Africa.

Capable of playing across the back-row, the Springboks international will join Tigers from Super Rugby side The Bulls.

Van Staden was born in Krugersdorp in South Africa’s West Rand and played his youth rugby with the Limpopo Blue Bulls, before representing the University of Pretoria – the alma mater of former Springbok captains Victor Matfield and Joost van der Westhuizen as well as former Leicester Tigers director of rugby Heyneke Meyer – in the prestigious Varsity Cup competition.

The loose-forward made his Currie Cup debut in 2017, Super Rugby debut in 2018 and – one year later – was selected to make his Test debut for the Springboks against Argentina in Durban, before narrowly missing out on selection in South Africa’s Rugby World Cup squad for the 2019 tournament in Japan.

In November of 2019, following his home nation’s successful World Cup campaign, Van Staden was selected in the Barbarians squad for their three-match tour and featured against Wales in Cardiff.

Alongside future Tigers team-mate Jasper Wiese, Van Staden was included in the Springboks squad for the 2021 series against the British & Irish Lions in South Africa.

Follow Marco Van Staden on social media

Instagram: @marco.vanstaden.95