‘Jake bel die Polisie’

The Vodacom Bulls are excited to welcome experienced prop Jacques van Rooyen, aka “Policeman”, who will join the #BullsFamily with immediate effect.

The 33-year-old loosehead prop best epitomises the term ‘late bloomer’ as he only signed his first professional contract with the Emirates Lions back in 2013 and blossomed into a mainstay amongst the front rowers, featuring in all three Vodacom Super Rugby finals played by the Lions.

Van Rooyen, affectionately known as the “Policeman” due to his association with Pretoria Police Rugby Club, explored his options overseas and turned out for Bath and the NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes before returning to South Africa.

Van Rooyen’s experience will also add immensely in mentoring the younger loosehead props while his effective scrummaging technique and incredible mobility will bolster the Vodacom Bulls as Director of Rugby, Jake White, continues to add firepower to his squad.

 

#BullsFamily bids Nonkontwana farewell

The #BullsFamily bid farewell to loose forward Abongile Nonkontwana today. The 25-year old former SA Schools and Junior Springbok joined the Vodacom Bulls after finishing his schooling at St. Alban’s College in 2014 and went on to represent the franchise at U19, U21, Super Sport Rugby Challenge, Currie Cup and Vodacom Super Rugby level.

Nonkontwana, who can also play in the second row, made a name for himself as a quality loose forward with a high work rate.

In 2018, he joined the Toyota Cheetahs where he tasted European rugby in the Guinness PRO14 before returning to Loftus Versfeld for the 2020 Vodacom Super Rugby season and featured in several matches before the COVID-19 pandemic put paid to the global rugby season.

The entire #BullsFamily wishes him all the best with his journey ahead.

#BullsFamily bids Herbst farewell

The Blue Bulls Company confirms that prop Wiehahn Herbst will leave Loftus Versfeld to join the Emirates Lions.

Herbst joined after the 2018 season and spent a year and a half in the colours of the Vodacom Bulls where his experience assisted immensely on the field and also in the grooming of some of the younger front row crop.

Director of Rugby, Jake White, thanked Herbst for his services and wished the burly front rower well with his new endeavour, “Wiehahn is an experienced prop who has learnt his trade internationally. We know he will add value at the Emirates Lions, and wherever he travels beyond that. We wish him all the best with his path ahead, and hope he grows from strength to strength.”

Herbst thanked the #BullsFamily for the memories, “My time at Loftus may have been short but it was packed with memories. Thank you for welcoming me into the #BullsFamily and allowing me the opportunity to play in the blue jersey.”

 

AFGRI Agri Services to construct new grain bunker in the Eastern Cape to support local farming community  

AFGRI Agri Services, one of South Africa’s leading agricultural services companies, has constructed a new grain bunker in the Eastern Cape to support the local farming community in support of Government’s vision of expanding the country’s agriculture footprint.

This is according to AFGRI Agri Services CEO, Jacob de Villiers, who says the new bunker near Butterworth in the Eastern Cape will offer state-of-the-art storage facilities for both maize and soya beans, offering storage capacity of 15,000 tons.

“This is our first commercial bunker in the province, and also the first commercial storage facility in the Eastern Cape, and we believe it will make a huge contribution to the efforts of local farmers, who will in future be able to securely store their crops without worrying about the produce rotting before it can get to market.”

The bunker in Centane, about 30 kilometres outside of Butterworth, is one of six new bunkers opened by AFGRI Grain Management recently, including the Delmas, Vaaldrift, Devon, Kortlaagte and Chelmsford Dam bunkers.

De Villiers says the Eastern Cape bunker will be managed by AFGRI Grain Management, which will employ and train people from the local community to help run operations. AFGRI Grain Management will also ensure that world-class grain management systems and procedures are put in place. An example is not only offering the storage of grains, but also the issuing of silo certificates, which can in turn be used as collateral for the farmers to secure additional funding.

The bunker will form part of the Centane/Mbashe Agricultural Initiative, a commercial dryland maize and soybean operation, which currently aggregates 2 500 hectares of communal land in rural Eastern Cape into a single commercial farming entity on behalf of 2 252 communal landowners from 34 villages. It is a joint venture partnership between these landowners and WIPHOLD. Gloria Serobe, WIPHOLD founder, says AFGRI Agri Services’ decision to enter the Eastern Cape Province is an exciting development for the province.

“The Eastern Cape is the next frontier for agricultural growth in South Africa. The area has enormous potential as an alternative growing region for South Africa’s food supply. What’s needed to support agricultural development in the region is attention to basic infrastructure, including grain storage facilities. We salute AFGRI for leading the way and investing in the future, not only of the region but also of their business.”

De Villiers said that AFGRI Agri Services is very proud to be helping to build the foundations of a strong agricultural sector in the Eastern Cape, which further includes the tobacco farming project that Lemang Agricultural Services, AFGRI’s training and development arm, is involved with, working closely with British American Tobacco South Africa.

“These endeavours are proof that committed businesses can work with Government to ensure sustainable skills transfer, create job opportunities and at the same time enhance the agricultural value chain,” he concluded.

#BullsFamily bid Visagie farewell

The Blue Bulls Company confirmed today that experienced hooker Jaco Visagie will be leaving Loftus Versfeld and will link up with the Emirates Lions.

Visagie made his first-class debut in 2013’s Vodacom Cup and went on to represent the franchise at all levels including U19, U21, Currie Cup and Vodacom Super Rugby. He earned his 50th cap for the Vodacom Bulls against the Blues earlier this year.

Director of Rugby, Jake White, wished Visagie well on his journey, “Jaco has been a loyal servant and warrior for the #BullsFamily for ten years, and has given his best in that time. I wish him well as he embarks on this new chapter in his rugby career at the Emirates Lions.”

Visagie thanked the #BullsFamily for backing him, “It’s been an amazing journey, to say the least, filled with highs and lows, and I’m sincerely grateful for the opportunities that I have been granted at Loftus. I’d like to thank my teammates, the management, the staff, and everybody else that’s contributed to my career thus far. I’m excited about the next step, and look forward to the journey ahead.”

#BullsFamily bids farewell to Odendaal

The Blue Bulls Company today confirmed that center Burger Odendaal will be departing the #BullsFamily. The 27-year-old, who also captained the Vodacom Bulls earlier this year, will be making his way across the Jukskei to neighbouring franchise, the Emirates Lions.

Odendaal started his professional career at Loftus in 2012 making his debut in the Vodacom Cup a little before turning 20. He is also one of the few current players to have surpassed the 50-cap mark in both Vodacom Super Rugby and Currie Cup.

Jake White, Director of Rugby at the BBCo, thanked Odendaal for his contributions and wished him well, “Burger has poured a lot of himself into the #BullsFamily over many years, and for that we are eternally grateful. He is a great guy that has had an impact on many players at Loftus, and I have no doubt that he will do really well at the Lions. We sincerely wish him all of the best with his career going forward.”

Odendaal humbly bid farewell to players and fans, “It is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to the #BullsFamily. It was an honor to call Loftus home for the last nine years and I want to thank each and every one who had an influence or part to play in my journey. I will cherish the good memories and hope that I have made lifelong friendships. All the best, stay safe.”

 

#BullsFamily bids farewell to flank Josh Strauss

The Blue Bulls Company would like to confirm that it has reached a mutual settlement with flank Josh Strauss regarding his departure from Loftus.

The Scottish international joined the Vodacom Bulls in 2019 and featured strongly in the 2020 Vodacom Super Rugby competition before it was halted due to Covid-19.

Contrary to media reports, there has been an open line of communication between BBCo Director of Rugby Jake White, and Strauss’ management agency over the last few months.

Strauss was open and honest in informing the Vodacom Bulls that he would be looking at other offers from overseas clubs, due to the financial strain after salary cuts across the board in South African Rugby.

He also strongly emphasised that the travel and distance between him and his family in Cape Town were starting to take its toll and that he was looking forward to spending more quality time with them.

White thanked Strauss for his commitment and wished him well, “Josh is a great guy and I truly respect his decision to put his family first. It’s a tough situation to be in, working and living far away from your kids and not seeing them as often as you like. We fully understand his situation and would like to sincerely thank him for his commitment and efforts while at the Bulls, and wish him everything of the best with his path ahead.”

 

#BullsFamily lock in Manjezi 

The Blue Bulls Company can confirm that 25-year-old lock forward Sintu Manjezi will join the Vodacom Bulls from the Toyota Cheetahs from 1 July.

Manjezi has stamped his authority in the Guinness PRO14 in recent seasons as a tough as nails and uncompromising lock in the Toyota Cheetahs’ pack. His core strength in the scrum coupled with his prowess at lineout time and ability to poach the ball off the ground makes him a valuable asset to the Vodacom Bulls. He is also versatile as he can pack down on the side of the scrum when called upon.

The 1.98m and 114kg former St. Andrews Grahamstown scholar started his career in the colours of the Eastern Province Kings and made his Vodacom Super Rugby debut for the Southern Kings in 2015.

He also cut his teeth in the FNB Varsity Cup, South Africa’s premier university competition, in the colours of FNB NMMU before shifting to the Tafel Lager Griquas.

The gifted lock forward made the move to Bloemfontein at the end 2018 where he represented the Toyota Cheetahs in the PRO14, routinely showing up his European opponents, and assisted the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in lifting the Currie Cup during last season’s successful campaign.

The #BullsFamily can expect big things with the signing of Manjezi as Director of Rugby, Jake White, continues to add firepower amongst the tight five. “Sintu is a talented player for the future and is a powerhouse that packs all the skills that make a good lock. He can slot in at lock or as a loosie, and I firmly believe that he has what it takes to play at the highest level..”

https://youtu.be/Hyr98fVEldg

 

Du Plessis joins #BullsFamily as Head of Junior Rugby

The Blue Bulls Company is excited to announce that former Grey College 1st XV coach, Wessel du Plessis, will join the #BullsFamily as Head of Junior Rugby with Director of Rugby, Jake White, continuing his mandate of revitalising all of the franchise’s structures.

The 35-year-old Du Plessis represented the Toyota Free State Cheetahs U20s and 7s teams before injuries curtailed his playing career and started his coaching career in 2004 with the Free State U17 team before shifting into the building industry for several years.

In 2010, Du Plessis joined Grey College as a teacher and in 2014, he was appointed the 1st XV coach. Under his tutelage, Grey College continued to dominate the South African school rugby scene, consistently beating the likes of Affies and Paarl Boys, while providing a conveyor belt of quality rugby players that have gone on to achieve at the highest levels.

His ability was recognised by SA Rugby when he was appointed head coach of the SA Schools A team earlier in 2020 before the rugby season was shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Du Plessis expressed his desire to make an immediate impact with the Vodacom Bulls junior players and thanked the #BullsFamily for showing faith in his ability as a coach.

“I’m passionate about helping young rugby players realise their potential and being able to do that within a professional environment such as the Vodacom Bulls is just the cherry on top. The junior structures at Loftus Versfeld are impressive while the players are of exceptional quality as evident by Loftus being the current home to the SA Rugby U21 and U19 Championship trophies. I’m looking forward to working with the next generation of Vodacom Bulls players and a heartfelt thank you must be given to the BBCo for this opportunity,” said Du Plessis.

White added that although the Vodacom Bulls are the flagship team at Loftus that an emphasis must be placed on grooming the next Vodacom Super Rugby stars.

“Creating a winning culture starts at the bottom and it is important to invest in the future of Vodacom Bulls rugby. When I joined the #BullsFamily, I stated my intention of improving the schools and club rugby structures and appointing a coach of Du Plessis’ calibre is a step in the right direction. I look forward to working with Du Plessis as the Vodacom Bulls look to the future,” said White.

 

#BullsFamily: Carr has joined the group

The Blue Bulls Company can confirm that the athletic loose forward Nizaam Carr will join the #BullsFamily and will link up with the team as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions are relaxed.

The 29-year-old former Bishops Diocesan College scholar is no stranger to the South African rugby landscape as he stamped his authority in Vodacom Super Rugby while playing in the colours of the DHL Stormers where he represented the franchise at almost every level.

Carr has established himself as an uncompromising and hard as nails no.8 but can pack down on either side of the scrum with his versatility coupled with his insatiable ability on the field making the Springbok an asset in any squad.

Carr has certainly been rewarded in silverware for his deeds on the field as he helped DHL Western Province to two Currie Cup titles in 2014 and 2017 after winning the FNB Varsity Cup title with the University of Cape Town in 2011.

In 2018, he joined the Wasps in the English Premiership where he quickly became a fan favourite and flourished on the heavier fields while adding different elements to his overall skillset. He returns to South Africa having unfinished business with the Springboks as he would ultimately want to add to his five appearances in the Green and Gold.

Director of Rugby, Jake White, expressed his delight in Carr’s signing and is looking forward to working with the talented loose forward.

“Nizaam needs little introduction and I’m happy that he has decided to continue his career with the Vodacom Bulls. His ability to perform under pressure will only benefit the franchise while his experience will be used to mentor the younger loose forwards in the squad as well. He has done well in England and it is great to have his talent back on South African soil again,” said White.

https://youtu.be/5-pxnHAvNX8