Springbok Olivier among 12 Montpellier recruits

Springbok Olivier among 12 Montpellier recruits

French Top 14 club Montpellier on Thursday unveiled 12 new recruits for next season, including Springbok centre Wynand Olivier and France prop Nicolas Mas.

Wynand Olivier of South Africa, seen at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on July 30, 2011. French Top 14 club Montpellier on has unveiled 12 new recruits for next season, including Springbok centre Olivier and France prop Nicolas Mas.

Olivier, part of the South African World Cup-winning squad in 2007, has won 37 Springbok caps and has signed for one season.

Mas headlines the forward signings, with hookers Thomas Bianchin (Racing-Metro) and Mickael Ivaldi (Toulon), Scottish lock Jim Hamilton, Australian lock Sitaleki Timani and Robins Tchale-Watchou (Perpignan) all also signing up until 2016.

The backline see the addition of another South African centre in the shape of the Stormers' JP Du Plessis, Auckland Blues centre/winger Anthony Tuitavake, Grenoble scrum-half Jonathan Pelissie and winger Lucas Dupont, and Clermont full-back Anthony Floch.

Kiwi centre Hamish Gard, who arrived at the club in February as a medical replacement for England international Shontayne Hape, signed up for one more season.

The incoming recruits are part of a clear-out of personnel that will see a raft of players leave Montpellier: scrum-half Julien Thomas, centre Santiago Fernandez, winger Martin Bustos Moyano and full-back Benjamin Thiery.

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