Cape Town, South Africa, February 2026 – PUMA has signed Springbok prop forward Thomas du Toit.
Du Toit, nicknamed The Tank, will play in PUMA’s new Avant Pro II, the latest evolution of its technical rugby boot engineered for the tight-five and which can be spotted on the feet of leading players including Bongi Mbonambi, Gerhard Steenekamp, Ruan Nortje, Franco Mostert, Lood De Jager, Johan Grobbelaar, Trevor Nyakane, Marnus van der Merwe, Vincent Koch, JF van Heerden, Sanelisiwe Charlie, Jaco Grobbelaar, and Ruben van Heerden.
“We are proud to add The Tank to our growing family of world class rugby players. As a force in both provincial and global arenas, he will drive market visibility of the PUMA Avant Pro II which was specifically Built for the Bind. As a dominating prop he will demonstrate the technical features of the boot, focusing on traction, power and stability,” said Brett Bellinger, Marketing Director for PUMA SA.
Du Toit, who has 32 Bok caps, is a Rugby World Cup and Rugby Championship winner. While at club and provincial level he has over 100 senior appearances across Super Rugby and domestic competitions. He also gained valuable overseas experience in Ireland and France, before signing with Bath Rugby in the English Premiership in 2023 and establishing himself as one of the league’s most influential forwards, scoring consistently as a powerful ball‑carrier.
Following this successful period in England, Du Toit confirmed his return to South Africa, and will re‑join the Hollywoodbets Sharks for the 2026/27 season, citing family priorities and a desire to contribute to South African rugby at home.
