Northampton Saints have today announced that Pat Howard will be joining the club next season.
The 23-year-old centre will join from the Western Province where he won the 2014 Currie Cup. A Junior World Championship winner with South Africa in 2012, Howard spent three months earlier this season with Munster.
He said: “I really enjoyed my time in Europe earlier this year and was delighted when Saints showed interest in me.
“It is a great opportunity for me to be joining a fantastic club and continue to develop as a player.
“I cannot wait to pull on the Saints jersey!
“I have had a great time coming through the ranks at Western Province, but feel that now is the right time to experience something new overseas.”
Director of rugby Jim Mallinder commented: “Pat is a young player who has shown plenty of promise in the Currie Cup, Pro 12 and Champions Cup.
“We’ve been impressed by what we’ve seen, but believe that there is more to come from him and are looking forward to seeing Pat develop in our squad.”