Former Springbok and Sharks lock Alistair Hargreaves has agreed to join Saracens from the start of the 2012/13 Aviva Premiership Rugby season.

The twenty-five-year-old Sharks lock played for the Springboks in the 2011 TriNations against the All Blacks and the Wallabies.

Hargreaves said that he was looking forward to joining Saracens as he wants to be part of something special, "Everybody in South African rugby knows there is something special happening at Saracens, and I can't wait to get stuck in and make a contribution to the continuing development of the club.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for me at a crucial stage of my rugby career. "

Mark McCall, Director of Rugby, said, "Alistair has a fantastic pedigree in SA Rugby, and we are confident he will flourish in our environment. "