Saracens have confirmed that Ivan Van Zyl will leave the club at the end of the 2025/26 campaign and return to South Africa.
The announcement closes a long spell in north London for the scrum half, who joined at the start of the 2020/21 campaign and went on to make more than 100 appearances for the club. Van Zyl became the first-choice No. 9 the following year, then helped shape some of Saracens’ biggest days in the modern era.
One of them came at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, where Van Zyl scored the decisive try as Saracens beat Sale Sharks in the Gallagher PREM final. He also captained the side on numerous occasions in both the Gallagher PREM and the Investec Champions Cup, underlining how far his role grew after his arrival. Last season, against Bath, he reached 100 appearances for the club.
That record helps explain why the news lands now, with Saracens still able to keep him through the end of next season. He remains part of the squad for another full campaign, but the club is already saying goodbye to a player who moved from recruit to leader and from backup to one of the most trusted figures in the dressing room.
Van Zyl said the last five years had not always been easy, but said they had been worth it. He said being a centurion for the club, winning the Gallagher PREM and captaining the side on the odd occasion was something he was very proud of. Van Zyl added that Saracens would always have a special place in his family’s hearts, and said he was leaving with no regrets and peace in his heart after giving the club everything he had.
He also thanked his wife for the sacrifices that allowed him to play for Saracens, saying this would always be Olivia’s first home and the first team she saw her father play for. The farewell carries extra weight because his time at the club was not defined only by numbers. It was built on a decisive score in a final, a run of captaincy chances and a reputation for reliability that never left the squad.
Mark McCall said Van Zyl had been an integral part of the team since joining in 2021 and added that his tries in finals and his spells as captain showed the way he led by example on and off the field. McCall said his commitment to the club and the standards he sets every day had made a huge impact across the group, and wished Van Zyl and his family well as they return to South Africa.
The timing leaves Saracens with another season to lean on a player who has already delivered in title pressure and in the everyday work that coaches value most. By the end of 2025/26, though, a partnership that began in 2020 will be over, and Saracens will have to replace not just a scrum half but a senior voice who helped define a winning cycle.
