3 more years!!!!

Away back into yer hole Toulon!

St. Ruan   

That'll learn 'em.

Three years is mental, though. Until the summer of 2017?

He'll be 32!

I suppose he could always head on to Leinster then.

 

Great endorsement!

oh, and the link -

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/latest/2013/10/ruan-pienaar-signs-for-3-more-years/

OH? Pardom moi, Miseur Pienaar! Did we not make eet clear??.... what we offer.... we mean to add two more zeros to eet. Now you come to uz?

Steady Stand...steady!

Wooohoooo

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24447558

I just let out the most almighty roar when I saw this!

Don Alfonso wrote:Three years is mental, though. Until the summer of 2017?

He'll be 32!

I suppose he could always head on to Leinster then.

If'n he wants to finally win a European title, it'd be a wise move... even at 32

Don Alfonso wrote:Three years is mental, though. Until the summer of 2017?

He'll be 32!

I suppose he could always head on to Leinster then.

 

SecretFly wrote:

Don Alfonso wrote:Three years is mental, though. Until the summer of 2017?

He'll be 32!

I suppose he could always head on to Leinster then.

If'n he wants to finally win a European title, it'd be a wise move... even at 32

The techincal term is "doing a Boss".

Ruan lands back in Belfast yesterday and David Humphreys gets him to turn down big bucks and sign for 3 years in the space of 2 days?

Thats deserves the freedom of the city!

Nah!

All that was sorted weeks ago I reckon. Just needed him back to announce it!

MrsP wrote:Nah!

All that was sorted weeks ago I reckon. Just needed him back to announce it!

Then string him up for making us sweat:furious: 

A 'Denis O'Brien' donor appeared on a white steed?

 

Talk about hero to zero!

marty2086 wrote:Ruan lands back in Belfast yesterday and David Humphreys gets him to turn down big bucks and sign for 3 years in the space of 2 days?

Thats deserves the freedom of the city!

Humphreys is clearly a smart operator. I reckon he will end up with a high level IRFU role at some point.

Fantastic news for Ulster - Class player!

good news for ulster and the rabo. the more players who commit the stronger the league . now all we need to top it off is the anglos to not get what they want  

Congrats Ulster fans. Great for you, great for our league, and sort of great for our players to continue playing against top operators like that (sort of, when they're not embarrassing us by whooping our asses...!).

Fantastic news! Ulster are just not the same team without him.

Fairplay to him for not running after the big Toulon bucks. Congrats Ulster, you need him.

Absolutely delighted. Great news for Ulster.

Don't give too much credit to Humphreys or the Ulster club for retaining Pienaar.
In truth, the only reason he wanted to come back to Belfast is for the weather.
Weather in Toulon is terrible by comparison.

I think it ultimately came down to his family. He is at heart a family man, his wife and daughter are very happy and settled in Belfast and he's enjoyed the rugby- so why mess with a winning formula?

There's more to life than just money- not that the Pienaars are exactly destitute with what he's already getting at Ulster!  

Notch wrote:I think it ultimately came down to his family. He is at heart a family man, his wife and daughter are very happy and settled in Belfast and he's enjoyed the rugby- so why mess with a winning formula?

There's more to life than just money- not that the Pienaars are exactly destitute with what he's already getting at Ulster!  

From my admittedly outside perspective, other players have seemed to be happy settling in Belfast area as well.  Ulster Rugby must be offering a nice tight-knit family community as well.  

Great message, yes?

 Those crepes at ravers were just too hard to leave behind!

Anyone else noticing the subtle digs disguised as congratulations from our Irish neighbours on this thread?

Also, My son will be 4 by the time Pienaar leaves, so it will be nice for him to see the guy with the same name in action at Ulster.

I was hopeful but great to hear.

It comes to being happy here, being a man of integrity and Ulster showing a total commitment to him.
Payne has said the same.

The guys has decency written through him like a stick of rock

Thought it was 3 more years of heineken cup rugby. Can't help but feel disappointed by this!

clivemcl wrote:Anyone else noticing the subtle digs disguised as congratulations from our Irish neighbours on this thread?

Also, My son will be 4 by the time Pienaar leaves, so it will be nice for him to see the guy with the same name in action at Ulster.

;


Nothing subtle about it. Ulster minus Ruan = not quite there yet, he definitely makes a big difference

VinceWLB wrote:Thought it was 3 more years of heineken cup rugby. Can't help but feel disappointed by this!

This is worth more than 3 years of HC rugby to watch a master in action  

Hearing rumours a big offer from Toulon was on the table - 50% pay increase but Pienaer said no thanks I am happy where I am

Makes it even sweeter in a way.  

To people of integrity money isn't everything - maybe some others in our game need to realize that

ME-109 wrote:

clivemcl wrote:Anyone else noticing the subtle digs disguised as congratulations from our Irish neighbours on this thread?

Also, My son will be 4 by the time Pienaar leaves, so it will be nice for him to see the guy with the same name in action at Ulster.

;


Nothing subtle about it. Ulster minus Ruan = not quite there yet, he definitely makes a big difference

He does, no doubt, and along with an obvious affection the Ulster fans have for Pienaar, this is why we're so delighted. Great timing for the announcement as well leading into the Tigers game.
If he does come off the bench I think there will be some roar  

I think it's great that a win over a dreadfully mis-firing Leinster has the Munster boys poking their heads back out, back to their belligerent best.

Very good signing for Ulster. One area of concern is that he hadn't a proper break from rugby for years. During the summer he is off playing for the Boks so its non stop.

Well done Ulster,they are a far better team with him playing.

Played 10 mins in the last 3 1/2 weeks

doctor_grey wrote:Don't give too much credit to Humphreys or the Ulster club for retaining Pienaar.  
In truth, the only reason he wanted to come back to Belfast is for the weather.  
Weather in Toulon is terrible by comparison.

Ah sure who needs warm weather when you have a warm welcome!

It is possible that a lot of other clubs are the same but the Ravenhill crowd and the Ulster public have a huge and genuine fondness for virtually all our imported players. They haven't all had the same skill or profile that Ruan possesses but they are all held in great affection and get a fantastic welcome if they return to Ravenhill.

I would think it's not just about the rugby community either. Many of our players talk openly and frankly about how important their faith is to them and I would think that their church communities are part of what keeps them here too.

geoff999rugby wrote:Played 10 mins in the last 3 1/2 weeks

Indeed. He hasn't played much but he also hasn't had much of a break at all which is not ideal. He ended the season looking like a man who had played too much rugby. I would be confident that this will be managed better this year. If memory serves, last season he would have been likely to get a bit of a break but then Small Parcel injured his arm?

With Heaney and SmallP playing well he should get a bit more rest this season.

Just home from Uni, and this is amazing news, made my day!

I never thought the Irish could love a Saffer this much.  

He's not the first Bilt!

We'd have kept Pedrie too if we could have.

Then there is johann

....and Robbie who just signed another long term contract

As well as being Saffers they are all Ulster men through and through.

MrsP wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Don't give too much credit to Humphreys or the Ulster club for retaining Pienaar.  
In truth, the only reason he wanted to come back to Belfast is for the weather.  
Weather in Toulon is terrible by comparison.

Ah sure who needs warm weather when you have a warm welcome!

It is possible that a lot of other clubs are the same but the Ravenhill crowd and the Ulster public have a huge and genuine fondness for virtually all our imported players. They haven't all had the same skill or profile that Ruan possesses but they are all held in great affection and get a fantastic welcome if they return to Ravenhill.

I would think it's not just about the rugby community either. Many of our players talk openly and frankly about how important their faith is to them and I would think that their church communities are part of what keeps them here too.

I probably should know better, but aren't most South Africans of Dutch descent usually from the Dutch Reformend Church?  Is there a presence in Belfast?  Or do they gravitate to the traditional churches?  Do you know which ones?  Just asking because I really don't know, I suppose, what I should.

I think the lads have got involved in local churches. Possibly several at the one church actually. I think the families are close.

doctor_grey wrote:

MrsP wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Don't give too much credit to Humphreys or the Ulster club for retaining Pienaar.  
In truth, the only reason he wanted to come back to Belfast is for the weather.  
Weather in Toulon is terrible by comparison.

Ah sure who needs warm weather when you have a warm welcome!

It is possible that a lot of other clubs are the same but the Ravenhill crowd and the Ulster public have a huge and genuine fondness for virtually all our imported players. They haven't all had the same skill or profile that Ruan possesses but they are all held in great affection and get a fantastic welcome if they return to Ravenhill.

I would think it's not just about the rugby community either. Many of our players talk openly and frankly about how important their faith is to them and I would think that their church communities are part of what keeps them here too.

I probably should know better, but aren't most South Africans of Dutch descent usually from the Dutch Reformend Church?  Is there a presence in Belfast?  Or do they gravitate to the traditional churches?  Do you know which ones?  Just asking because I really don't know, I suppose, what I should.

South Africa is religiously VERY diverse.  I didn't actually know that before your post and I looked it up.  The Dutch Reformed Church is actually smaller than the Catholic church is South Africa...and the Methodist Church.  However regardless of exactly what religion these guys are,  Johann Muller has for example given sermons at churches in Northern Ireland and has spoken about a connection between his faith and being in Ulster.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_South_Africa

Ah, makes sense. The cultural dislocation, if you will, is not so bad if the families remain close. Interesting topic I never really knew anything about.

Artful_Dodger,
Thanks mate. Didn't know that either.
Appreciated.