Handre Pollard’s Springbok rival Curwin Bosch turns down offer to join Bath

BATH have been knocked back in their bid to land Sharks fly-half Curwin Bosch, who has rejected a move to the Premiership.

Stuart Hooper is keen to increase his options after Freddie Burns moved to Japan and had been looking at the South African market.

He enquired about Bosch, 22, who won a couple of international caps in 2017, but he wasn’t interested in the move.

Bosch, who had a spell in Japan with Munakata Sanix Blues, is staying in South Africa for now much to Hooper’s disappointment.

The Sharks have become the hotbed for producing South African talent, including Junior Boks Aphelele Fassi, Dylan Richardson and Phepsi Buthelezi.

But Bosch was actually a player lured to the Sharks set-up late, moving to Durban from Eastern Province in 2016.

This season has been a breakthrough year for Bosch, leading the Super Rugby points charts with 86 prior to fixtures being suspended.

NEIL FISSLER