Star South Africa lock Lood de Jager has signed for Premiership side Sale Sharks from Super Rugby franchise The Bulls, the English club announced on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old -- capped 38 times since making his Springboks Test debut in 2014 -- signed a three-year contract and will join up either for the start of the Premiership season or as is more likely after the World Cup in Japan.

NEW SIGNING | Sale Sharks are delighted to announce the signing of Springbok International Lood De Jager!

Read more here ? https://t.co/RwCHPvWLEh#SharksByName #SharksByNature pic.twitter.com/3862GPi2Ls

— Sale Sharks? (@SaleSharksRugby) April 24, 2019

 De Jager, who has been sidelined with a shoulder injury and is likely to be out util the end of June, said he had been impressed by the ambitious targets Sale and their director of rugby Steve Diamond had.  

“They are a club with great tradition and really high ambitions and they are building something really special," said de Jager.

Diamond has made a habit of signing high profile players including the likes of England wing Chris Ashton, South Africa scrum-half Faf de Klerk and Australia back James O'Connor.

"He (de Jager) is a world-class line-out operator with lots of experience at the highest level and offers a huge physical presence around the pitch," said Diamond.

"Lood's signing is a statement of intent in our endeavor to become a force in the Premiership and Europe over the next three years."

@Agence France-Presse