Springbok scrumhalf Louis Schreuder will join English club Newcastle Falcons for the upcoming Premiership season.

The 30-year-old, who played one Test for the Springboks against Wales in 2017, has been a vital member of the Sharks in recent years

He won Currie Cup three times, twice with Western Province and once with the Sharks, whom he captained to victory during the 2018 final.

Schreuder boasts over a 100 Super Rugby appearances following his time with the Stormers, Sharks and Southern Kings, with the 6ft halfback also representing French club Toulon and Japan's Kubota Spears.

"Louis is a top-quality player who has shown it consistently throughout his career," Newcastle Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards said on the club's official website.

"Our new defence coach Nick Easter worked with him at the Sharks so we have great first-hand insight on him, and our back-rower Philip van der Walt has also been very useful in terms of getting the inside track from their time playing together.

"It's a great signing which adds to what is already a very strong nucleus ahead of our Premiership return, and emphasises the real competition for places that we have among our squad.”

Newcastle will be back in the Premiership following last season's Championship title triumph where Richards' men won every game and sat 18 points clear at the top of the table when the season was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Schreuder becomes the Falcons' sixth new signing for next season, alongside Matias Orlando (Jaguares), Marco Fuser (Benetton Treviso), Tom Penny (Harlequins), Pete Lucock (Doncaster Knights) and Iwan Stephens (Leeds Rhinos RL).

They also welcome back England's Mark Wilson from his loan spell at Sale Sharks, while Matthew Ward, James Blackett and Phil Brantingham have all been promoted into the club’s senior academy squad.

- Compiled by Sport24 staff