With Tomos Williams leaving to join Gloucester at the end of last season Sherratt knew he had to bolster his scrum half resources and the 24-year-old Johan Mulder has now joined former Scarlets, Ospreys, Saracens and Wales pivot Aled Davies in joining the capital region.
Mulder arrives from the Emirates Lions having spent time training with Cardiff in South Africa last season.
“Johan is someone we have been tracking for some time and he impressed us when he helped us out in Durban towards the end of last season,” said Sherratt.
“From initially looking at his footage, I could see straight away that he was a Cardiff-type player. He has an attacking mind-set and is good in unstructured play, while he is similar to Tinus de Beer defensively.
“Then from spending time with him in South Africa, you could quickly see he was a good professional and person who would add to our environment.
“He was one of the leading players in the Currie Cup, with a reputation for his attacking prowess and he now arrives in Cardiff with a point to prove.
“We now have a really competitive group of scrum-halves, who will drive each other to greater heights while also offering us different playing styles.”
The 24-year-old Bevan made 17 appearances for Cardiff last season and started all three summer tests for Wales against South Africa and Australia, twice. His club form obviously impressed Wales head coach Warren Gatland and his senior international performances have marked him out as a real contender for the national No 9 jersey along with Williams, when he returns to full fitness, Kieran Hardy and Gareth Davies.
Mulder came through the ranks at the Vodacom Bulls but with opportunities limited moved to the Griquas in the Currie Cup. He made 25 appearances in two seasons, establishing himself as a potent attacking weapon, and joined the Lions on a short-term deal last year.
“There is a lot of strong competition at scrum-half, which is great for everyone as it will push us all to improve and work hard to earn our spot. I’m really looking forward to that challenge,” said Mulder.
“I was fortunate to meet a lot of the boys and coaches when I trained with the squad in South Africa last year, and it is great to finally be here at the Arms Park. Now I am just really looking forward to getting stuck into pre-season training and kicking off the 2024-25 campaign.”
Mulder has become the ninth new recruit for Cardiff this summer and will join outside half Callum Sheedy, props Ed Byrne and Danny Southworth, wings Iwan Stephens and Gabe Hamer-Webb, centre Rory Jennings, lock Josh McNally, and back row man Dan Thomas in battling for a starting position at the Arms Park.
