The Bulls are gearing up for a high-stakes tour of Ireland and Scotland, with Johan Ackermann at the helm, naming a robust 31-man squad that includes a whopping 13 Springboks. Among them, Handre Pollard is poised for a dramatic return to the Bulls' ranks, marking his second debut for the Pretoria squad since his move back from Leicester Tigers. The squad, bolstered by the inclusion of 2025 Rugby Championship titans like Canan Moodie, Jan Hendrik Wessels, Marco van Staden, Wilco Louw, and Willie le Roux, promises some thrilling rugby action on their upcoming fixtures against Ulster, Connacht, and Glasgow Warriors.
However, the team will feel the absence of their captain Marcell Coetzee, sidelined after a failed Head Injury Assessment, with Johan Grobbelaar stepping up as captain in his stead. Adding to the injury woes, dynamic winger Kurt-Lee Arendse is out with a hamstring issue, and Wilco Louw will exit the tour after two weeks, making way for Khuta Mchunu, in line with player welfare guidelines.
"We’ve got individual plans in place, but injuries have already forced one or two changes,"
Ackermann disclosed, emphasizing the integration challenges, particularly for Pollard.
"It’s probably the biggest challenge for Handré, just because he’s the newest addition, while the others have played with us before."
The Bulls kicked off their United Rugby Championship campaign on a high note, securing maximum points from their initial matches, including a significant win over Leinster. With the European tour on the horizon, center David Kriel expressed the team's ambition: "We are going to go for all three games. We really want to win silverware this season. This tour is going to be the perfect test for that. We are really excited and hopefully everything works well in our favour."
The squad for the tour features a blend of seasoned internationals and emerging talent, poised to make a strong statement in the URC. Bulls touring squad: Alulutho Tshkweni, Canan Moodie, Cheswill Jooste, Cobus Wiese, David Kriel, Devon Williams, Embrose Papier, Francois Kloppers, Gerhard Steenekamp, Handre Pollard, Harold Vorster, Jan Hendrik Wessels, Jan Serfontein, Jean Else, Jeandre Rudolph, JJ Theron, Johan Grobbelaar (c), Johan Goosen, Keagan Johannes, Marco van Staden, Mornay Smith, Mpilo Gumede, Nico Janse van Rensburg, Nama Xaba, Paul de Wet, Reinhardt Ludwig, Sebastian De Klerk, Stravino Jacobs, Wilco Louw, Willie le Roux, Zak Burger.
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The Bulls are gearing up for a high-stakes tour of Ireland and Scotland, with Johan Ackermann at the helm, naming a robust 31-man squad that includes a whopping 13 Springboks. Among them, Handre Pollard is poised for a dramatic return to the Bulls' ranks, marking his second debut for the Pretoria squad since his move back from Leicester Tigers. The squad, bolstered by the inclusion of 2025 Rugby Championship titans like Canan Moodie, Jan Hendrik Wessels, Marco van Staden, Wilco Louw, and Willie le Roux, promises some thrilling rugby action on their upcoming fixtures against Ulster, Connacht, and Glasgow Warriors.
However, the team will feel the absence of their captain Marcell Coetzee, sidelined after a failed Head Injury Assessment, with Johan Grobbelaar stepping up as captain in his stead. Adding to the injury woes, dynamic winger Kurt-Lee Arendse is out with a hamstring issue, and Wilco Louw will exit the tour after two weeks, making way for Khuta Mchunu, in line with player welfare guidelines.
"We’ve got individual plans in place, but injuries have already forced one or two changes,"
Ackermann disclosed, emphasizing the integration challenges, particularly for Pollard."It’s probably the biggest challenge for Handré, just because he’s the newest addition, while the others have played with us before."
The Bulls kicked off their United Rugby Championship campaign on a high note, securing maximum points from their initial matches, including a significant win over Leinster. With the European tour on the horizon, center David Kriel expressed the team's ambition: "We are going to go for all three games. We really want to win silverware this season. This tour is going to be the perfect test for that. We are really excited and hopefully everything works well in our favour."
The squad for the tour features a blend of seasoned internationals and emerging talent, poised to make a strong statement in the URC. Bulls touring squad: Alulutho Tshkweni, Canan Moodie, Cheswill Jooste, Cobus Wiese, David Kriel, Devon Williams, Embrose Papier, Francois Kloppers, Gerhard Steenekamp, Handre Pollard, Harold Vorster, Jan Hendrik Wessels, Jan Serfontein, Jean Else, Jeandre Rudolph, JJ Theron, Johan Grobbelaar (c), Johan Goosen, Keagan Johannes, Marco van Staden, Mornay Smith, Mpilo Gumede, Nico Janse van Rensburg, Nama Xaba, Paul de Wet, Reinhardt Ludwig, Sebastian De Klerk, Stravino Jacobs, Wilco Louw, Willie le Roux, Zak Burger.