Stormers star Dillyn Leyds has written an emotional goodbye letter to the union, fans and his teammates.
Coach John Dobson confirmed last week that Leyds and prop Wilco Louw will leave the franchise at the end of next month and will possibly not wear the blue and white hoops again because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On his way to French club La Rochelle, Leyds posted on Instagram: “This was definitely not how I
wanted things to end and right now I would give anything for just one more 80 with the boys.
"But nevertheless my time has come to say goodbye, a really tough goodbye to the Stormers and Western Province family.’
“The last seven years have all been an absolute dream come true for me.
“I got to do what I love... at one of rugby’s most iconic venues, week in and week out.
“To the fans, thanks so much for your support, it’s very much appreciated. You guys have really made Newlands that much more special and I think I speak for us all as players when I say we’re sad to see it go.
“Whether it’s a 'boo' from the grand stand or ‘Gaan sny jou hare’ from the railway stand, I know I will miss it all dearly.
“I want to say thank you to the management and coaching staff who’ve helped and guided me during my time over here.
“To my teammates, words won’t do it any justice as to how much I have enjoyed my time on and off the field with you guys.
“I’ll leave here with so many great memories and valuable friendships that were built during this time and to me that’s ultimately the biggest W.
“I hope there’ll be time for one more team social just to end it off in style.
“Thank you Cape Town. It was lekke’, nca, and so vibey. Hopefully I’ve also left you guys with some good memories and not just one lucky pass.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Dillyn Leyds(@dill_l8s) on May 15, 2020 at 6:13am PDT