Bath Rugby's South African stars have joined the search to find their missing compatriot Donavan van Lill.

The 29-year-old, who plays rugby for Corsham RFC, disappeared 15 days ago.

He was reported missing after he failed to turn up to work at The Olympiad Leisure Centre in Chippenham for two days running.

Before moving to Britain, Mr van Lill was a fan of the Natal Sharks - the team which Bath fly-half Butch James played for before he moved to England.

James said he and fellow South African Bath players Michael Claassens, Pieter Dixon and Luke Watson had been glad to highlight the campaign to find Mr van Lill, who is known to many as 'Don'.

"I can't even begin to imagine what it would feel like to have a member of your family missing like this," said James.

"If I had the same situation with my brother or another family member, I would want all the help I could get.

"It's right that we do whatever we can to help. Hopefully it's going to help make it easier to find Donavan."

Mr van Lill left his British and South African passports, his car keys and car and wallet with bank cards at his home in Chippenham. More than 13,000 people have since joined a Facebook group set up to help find him.

His friend Melodie Snyman, who is working closely with Wiltshire Police in the search, first met him through Facebook in 2007 after they realised they were both South Africans living in the same area of Wiltshire.

"The support we've been getting from Bath Rugby has been great and the Facebook group has been staying really positive," said the 21-year-old.

"Having the idea of never finding him is the worst idea there could possibly be. When do you actually stop searching? Do you ever stop searching?"

A new police search for Mr van Lill along routes he often uses for training runs in the Chippenham area this week found nothing.

Volunteers from Wiltshire Search and Rescue joined officers in covering a one kilometre square area to the south of the town last night.

House to house enquiries were also carried out, and continued today.

A police spokesman said: "Donavan has still not been in contact with his employers at The Olympiad, or as far as we are aware, any of his friends.

"Witnesses and close personal friends have provided us with various useful pieces of information, and that information is currently being assessed."

The Facebook group dedicated to finding him has 13,373 members, and friends have been putting up posters in Bath as well as towns around Wiltshire.

Anyone with information should call police on 08454 087000.