Latest news with #LoftusVersfeld
The Citizen
4 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Blue Bulls enter Currie Cup tournament with good mix of youth and experience
The Bulls showed that they are serious about winning the Currie Cup this year, when Coach Phiwe Nomlomo named his squad for this tournament, which kicks off this coming weekend. No fewer than six of the players who starred for the Junior Springboks in winning the u.20 World Championship and four Springboks are among those named in Nomlomo's squad for the tournament. The robust health of the union's junior pathways is further reflected in another 10 players being u.21, which signals both ambition and confidence on the part of Nomlomo and his coaching team. Thus, more than 50 percent of the squad (excluding the injured list) is comprised of club and u.21 players. Former SA u.20 player Nama Xaba, a flanker, will captain the side this season. Ahead of this weekend's start against Western Province in Cape Town, Nomlomo hailed South African rugby's oldest competition as a 'great opportunity for the players to go out and do their best for themselves and the jersey'. He said he was excited that incoming Bulls URC coach, Johan Ackermann, would be able to see the Currie Cup squad first hand, and to run the rule over the depth at Loftus Versfeld. 'They've put in the work,' said Nomlomo, who is under no illusions as to the strength of the competition. – Loose head prop Lizo Gqoboka, who is back at Loftus Versfeld after his stint in Cape Town, lock Marvin Orie, wing Aphiwe Dyantyi and veteran flank, Nizaam Carr, are the four Springboks in the group, while Stedman Gans is a sevens Bok. – The 31-year-old flyhalf, Jaco van der Walt, played four tests for Scotland in 2020 and 2021. – The world champion Junior Boks who will wear Blue Bulls colours are Esethu Mnebelele, Jacobus Grobbelaar, Jean Erasmus, JJ Theron, Cheswill Jooste and Demitre Erasmus. The full squad for the Currie Cup season is: Forwards: Abri van der Westhuysen; Cassie Badenhorst; Dylan de Leeuw; Dylan Smith; Esethu Mnebelele; Francois Klopper; Jacobus Grobbelaar; Jean Erasmus; Jeandré Rudolph; JJ Theron; Joe van Zyl; Junior Pokomela; Lizo Gqoboka; Marco Ferreira; Marvin Orie; Nama Xaba (captain); Ruan Swart; Shaun Schurmann and Sintu Manjezi. Backs: Boeta Chamberlain; Brooklyn Newmann; Cheswill Jooste; Chris Barend Smit; Daimon O'Connell; Demitre Erasmus; Henry Immelman; Jaco van der Walt; Katlego Letebele; Liam Koen; PA van Niekerk; Riyaad Bam; Stedman Gans; Steven Nel; Stravino Jacobs and Zak Burger. Injured players: Aphiwe Dyantyi; Celimpilo Gumede; Corné Beets; Cornel Smit; Heinrich Theron; Juann Else; Khutha Mchunu; Nizaam Carr and Simphiwe Matanzima. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Herald
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Kariega's Dolf eager to play in front of home fans
Growing up playing touch rugby with some boys in Pelican Street in Rosedale, Kariega, taught Springbok Women fullback Byrhandre Dolf how to step past bigger people, hence her dream to meet Cheslin Kolbe, who has perfected that art on the rugby field. And as soon as Dolf had moved from playing on tar to grass when her talents were recognised, she was invited to play rugby with her peers. Imagine Dolf's joy when the Springbok Women and Springboks flew from Johannesburg to Gqeberha on the same flight on Sunday, and she found herself seated next to Kolbe. As she recalls enthusiastically: 'We talked a bit of rugby, and he gave me some stepping tips.' Since boarding the flight to the Friendly City, Dolf has not stopped smiling. Not only did she score a wonderful try against Canada in the first Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, where she plays her provincial rugby for the Bulls Daisies, but then, after spending some time on the plane with Kolbe, she realised she was home when the plane touched down at the Dawid Stuurman International Airport. 'It was such a great feeling to be back. Rugby takes you to many places, but it also takes you away from home a lot, so for me to come back here was such a great feeling,' she said after the Bok Women completed their second training session of the week. This focused squarely on a better result than the 50-20 defeat suffered in Pretoria. 'We trained nicely so far, and we actually took some confidence from that game, despite the result. 'We scored three very good tries and realised that the gap between them as number two ranked team in the world, and ourselves is not that big, providing that we limit our soft moments and stay in the fight.' For Dolf, who made her Test debut against Canada 21 matches ago in 2023, the positives outweigh the negatives coming into the second clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. 'We focused on playing with more intensity and not having those 'switched off' moments, and that already worked well for us at training. 'I am optimistic that we will be a much harder team to break down this weekend,' she said. Dolf will be playing in the green and gold in front of her family for the first time, especially doing so in front of her grandmother, Lizzie Jantjies, with whom she lived from the age of eight. 'She is going to be there and see me play and that is special, as well as other family and friends,' Dolf said, adding that her previous experience at the iconic city landmark was equally memorable. 'I was already playing rugby at the time and loving it and also doing well, having played for the Eastern Province U16 and U18 teams at the National Girls Weeks. 'In 2021, when the Springboks played against Argentina, I was actually a ball retriever inside the stadium for that match and when I handed Malcolm Marx the ball to throw into the line-out, I was the happiest person ever, being so close to a rugby idol.' A lot of time has passed since and for Dolf, a lot of accolades have happened. She captained the Junior Springbok Women in 2022, made her Test debut a year later and went on to play in 21 Tests, scoring seven tries (and one conversion) in the green and gold, and missing only three Tests since that debut. 'That day I gave Malcolm the ball was huge for me and, since then, a lot of good things happened for me in rugby,' she said. — SA Rugby Communications
TimesLIVE
08-07-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Bulls bolster squad with Serfontein, Orie, Janse van Rensburg and De Wet
The post-Jake White era has started in earnest at Loftus Versfeld, with the Bulls announcing the arrival of experienced midfielder Jan Serfontein, locks Marvin Orie and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg and scrumhalf Paul de Wet. Serfontein returns to Pretoria on an initial three-year deal and EPCR Challenge Cup and French Top 14 winner Janse van Rensburg has put pen to paper for a contract that expires in June 2027. Orie and De Wet have joined the herd on short-term deals. Serfontein returns to Tshwane from French side Montpellier, whom he left the capital for and made more than 147 appearances since the 2017 season. Before his departure, the Springbok centre earned 48 caps for the Bulls, scoring 15 tries from 45 matches. The Grey alumni arrived back at Loftus on July 1 and will have his contract with the club run to 2028.
IOL News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Jan Serfontein returns to the Bulls as Springboks make their way back to Loftus
While Jake White has been booted out of Loftus Versfeld, his dream of more Springboks moving back to the Bulls is becoming a reality. On Tuesday, the Bulls announced the return of veteran centre Jan Serfontein and Springbok Marvin Orie to the Pretoria kraal. Serfontein, who had been on the books of French side Montpellier since 2017, has signed an initial three-year contract with Bulls. The Grey College alumnus made more than 147 appearances since the 2017 season for Montpellier after leaving the Bulls. Before his departure, the Springbok centre earned 48 caps for the Pretoria side, scoring 15 tries from 45 starts. Serfontein will link up with former teammate, Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard, who also recently returned to Pretoria after stints with Montpellier and the Leicester Tigers in England.
News24
08-07-2025
- Sport
- News24
Jan Serfontein signs with Bulls, returning to where it all began 13 years ago
Springbok centre Jan Serfontein is heading back to the Bulls - the union where it all began for him back in 2012. The 32-year-old has signed a three-year deal at Loftus Versfeld and will be available for the start of the upcoming United Rugby Championship (URC) season. Serfontein, who has 35 Test caps for the Springboks, represented the Bulls from 2012 to 2017 before moving to French giants Montpellier, where he has been since. It has been widely reported in recent months that he was eyeing a return to South Africa, though, and this confirmation now suggests that he will finish his playing career in Pretoria. With Handre Pollard also back, the Bulls are now set to field a familiar 10/12 pairing. It is still not clear, of course, who will be coaching the Bulls this season after Jake White, the coach for the last four URC campaigns, parted ways with the franchise last week.
