Wednesday 2 July 2014 14:48, UK
Edinburgh have bolstered their pack ahead of the new RaboDirect PRO12 season with the acquisition of Namibian lock Anton Bresler from the Sharks.
Alan Solomons has signed the powerful and athletic second-row on a three-year deal which will keep him with the Scottish club until 2017.
Bresler, 26, is a product of the KwaZulu-Natal and Sharks academy set-up and made 39 appearances in the southern hemisphere’s premier competition following his debut in 2011.
He is a big, powerful and abrasive player. He's a front of the lineout jumper and I would describe him as more of an enforcer lock.
The aggressive lock started the opening five matches of the season for the Sharks before a shoulder injury sustained against the Bulls in March restricted him to the sidelines.
It is expected that Bresler will make his return to action this weekend as the Sharks take on the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
"When I first heard there was interest from Edinburgh Rugby and Alan Solomons I immediately did some research to build up my knowledge of the country and the club,” said Bresler, who will move to the Scottish capital with his wife Kelly.
"I read about some big wins and some narrow losses against some of the top teams in the competitions and it struck me as a chance to join a club that's moving in the right direction and where hopefully, together, we'll be able to push on and do some great things.
"I'm really excited. I've always wanted to compete with the best, and this is a fantastic opportunity to take on the top players of the northern hemisphere. I'm really looking forward to it.”
Bresler's recruitment adds further strength to Solomons’ second-row options as the Namibian joins recent Scotland captain Grant Gilchrist, Scotland A-capped Fraser McKenzie, Ollie Atkins and promising twins Alex and Ben Toolis all competing for places.
"Anton is a player who, despite being just 26, has been a regular in the Sharks starting line-up for the past three to four years,” Solomons said.
“The Sharks are probably South Africa's strongest franchise and are currently second in Super Rugby, which allows us to appreciate the quality of Anton as a player.
"He is a big, powerful and abrasive player. He's a front of the lineout jumper and I would describe him as more of an enforcer lock."
