Saracens have confirmed that former Springbok Schalk Burger will leave the club at the end of the season and return to Cape Town.

The 35-year-old joined the English club in 2016, having been part of the squad that claimed the 2017 European Champions Cup, but he will end his time with Saracens after the 2018-19 campaign.

‘I’m going to leave Saracens a happy man. I’ve made great friends here and that’s pretty much the standout feature,’ he said.

‘The way we go about enjoying rugby, enjoying spending time together, the trips I’ve had with the team, and we’ve won a couple of trophies since I’ve been here too, so I have a lot of great memories.

‘In rugby, you go through phases where you play well and don’t play well, but at the end of the day that’s the by-product. What you care about is the quality of the human and the quality of time we’ve spent together as a club.

‘I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone for taking not only me in, but my whole family. We’ve had a lot of success on the field, but what stands out is the friendships I’ve made off the field, so a massive thank you to everyone involved.’

?| Hear from the legend himself… Schalk Burger chats about his time at Saracens and the amazing friendships he has made along the way. #ThankyouSchalla ⚫? pic.twitter.com/vHB2iLhZI0 — Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) February 27, 2019



Photo: @Saracens/Twitter