André Goedhals joins the Gallagher PREM club from Currie Cup side the Pumas

Exeter Chiefs have signed South African lock André Goedhals on a three-and-a-half-year contract from the Currie Cup side the Pumas with immediate effect, director of rugby Rob Baxter has confirmed.

The 6ft 6ins, 22-year-old second-rower was already lined up to join Chiefs on a three-year deal next season, but Chiefs have used some injury dispensation budget to speed up his arrival, and Goedhals now makes the move from Mpumalanga to Devon, having been born on English shores, which crucially makes him an EPQ player.

Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “We’ve moved quite quickly in the last week or so to bring André into the squad a little ahead of schedule. We were initially looking to bring him in next season but I have to say a big thank you to the Pumas for considering releasing him early to allow him to join us now.

“I feel he’s a player with an incredible future. He’s a talented young man at only 22 years old and having already played two years in the Currie Cup. You can see the pedigree he’s already got from that competition. He also has the ability to play both second-row and back-row.

“We’ve been looking for a little while to supplement our stock in the back five of the scrum with injuries to Andrea Zambonin and Lewis Pearson. Getting André in with us this week enables him to start his Chiefs career almost a year earlier than planned, which will both aid his development and give us greater depth as we move through the season.

“We’ll try to get him up and running as soon as we can, with the outside possibility of him being involved in the next few weeks, especially as we enter into the next stage of the Prem Rugby Cup.”

Having attended Oakdale Agricultural High School, whose rugby alumni include British & Irish Lions back-rower CJ Stander, Goedhals gained representative honours.

At a club level, Goedhals joined the DHL Stormers’ player pathway in 2023 as a member of the Western Province squad. However, it was upon moving to Airlink Pumas earlier this year that he earned his senior rugby opportunity. During the 2026 Currie Cup, he made six appearances and scored two tries as the Pumas reached the final of the competition.

Goedhals added: “I’m really excited to be joining Exeter Chiefs. It’s a club with great history and ambition. The opportunity to challenge myself in a new environment, continue developing as a player and be part of such a competitive team was something I couldn’t turn down and that I always wanted.

“I’m looking forward to giving everything I have to the club, contributing to the team’s success and helping Chiefs compete for silverware. I’m also excited to experience rugby in England and to grow both on and off the field over the next few years.”