Davids, originally from the Western Cape, used to play in the second row for Western Province before jetting off to the northen hemisphere to try his luck with Guinness Premiership side, Gloucester.

His journey overseas lasted only one season where the lock forward hardly featured for the former Premiership champions and was eventually released.

Davids returned to South Africa and joined Currie Cup champions the Cheetahs where he also struggled to find a regular place in the team's XV this year.

The former Bok lock made headlines in 2003 when he and another former Springbok lock Geo Cronjé were expelled from the South African pre-World Cup training squad due to racial differences.

Cape schooled Shimange, who has frequently been used as the back-up hooker to captain John Smit in the Springbok team, has slipped down the pecking order at Western Province behind Schalk Brits, Tiaan Liebenberg and Huia Edmonds. Not helping his cause, however, was the ruling that contracted Boks had to be pulled out of the Currie Cup this season.

Shimange has nine caps for SA, while Davids has played for the Boks five times.

Both players have enjoyed Super 12/14 exposure with the Stormers and their move to Boland will once again grant them a place in the squad next season should they be selected.

Meanwhile, Boland also announced that two former Emerging Springbok players - Zolani Mofu and John Daniels - would be joining them next season.

Speedster Daniels started his career at Boland in 1998 and played 63 games for them, scoring a massive 66 tries.

He then moved to the Lions in 2002 where he played 48 games, scoring 36 tries in the process. Daniels recently broke Chris Badenhorst's all-time Currie Cup try-scoring record of 65, with his tally on 68 at present.

Boland also recently signed former Griquas captain and prop Jané du Toit.

In Afrikaans Boland means 'up land' or 'the higher land' or 'the land above' and is generally mountainous, with range after range of beautiful and isolated sandstone peaks reaching towards 2000m but also has broad, fertile valleys that are home to some of South Africa's finest vineyards.