Sharks confirm Lukhanyo Am is heading back to Mzansi

Am was given permission to Japan for a short two-month stint with the Kobe Steelers earlier this year as part of the negotiations that saw him extend his contract with the Sharks until 2025.

The 28-year-old’s final game for the Steelers will be on Sunday, 8 May and he will back to Durban immediately thereafter.

It means Am will be available to captain the Sharks in their final fixture of the United Rugby Championship (URC) round-robin stages against Ulster in Ireland on Friday, 20 May.

“Lukhanyo will be back, he finishes up in Japan next week and we are looking forward to having him back in the following week,” Sharks coach Sean Everitt told TimesLIVE.

“We haven’t watched any of his games, but I have chatted to him on a weekly basis and he is in a good space and really enjoying the opportunity that he has over there.

“He is playing with international stars in his team over there and obviously being coached by really good coaches. We are looking forward to him coming home and sharing the knowledge that he has gained from there.”