VODACOM SUPER RUGBY – ROUND 17

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The Vodacom Bulls travel to hot and humid Singapore to face a defiant Sunwolves outfit at the National Stadium. There is still a mathematical chance that the men from Pretoria can make the knockout stages of the competition with Handrè Pollard and his charges ready to do what needs to be done in Asia to ensure that they put themselves in contention to secure valuable log points against the Sunwolves.

The Sunwolves will have their tails up as they prepare for their match against the Vodacom Bulls after winning their last fixture against their South African counterparts. However, in total, the Sunwolves have lost three of the four matches that have been contested between the two teams.

Pollard to lead Vodacom Bulls against Sunwolves in Singapore

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The Vodacom Bulls will travel to the Singapore National Stadium for their Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Sunwolves with a number of new faces as well as a new captain in flyhalf Handre Pollard this weekend.

 

The playmaker takes over from regular captain, Burger Odendaal, who was not considered due to injury, in a side that welcomes back a number of players who saw little action this year. Jamba Ulengo is back at wing, Hanro Liebenberg at no8 and Jannes Kirsten makes a first appearance this season on the side of the scrum.

 

Ulengo and Kirsten have not played at all in this year’s tournament and Liebenberg’s last action was on 14 April against the Cell C Sharks.

 

The midfield combination, where Johnny Kotze will partner Jesse Kriel in Odendaal’s absence, is new as well, while Pollard will have Embrose Papier on his inside. Papier last started on 23 March against the Crusaders.

 

Edgar Marutlulle, Simpiwe Matanzima and Morne Smith will all make first appearances for the season as well, with the latter two also debuting in the competition and Vodacom Bulls colours.

 

“It is great to be back playing in the tournament again. We had a good break, but also had some time together to sort out elements in our play that lacked consistency,” feels Vodacom Bulls coach, John Mitchell.

 

“The Sunwolves are always dangerous, especially on home turf and we will have to be very principled in our approach and execution if we want to stay in the contest,” Mitchell said.

 

Pollard said they need to find their momentum and rhythm as soon as possible. “We have not played together as a team for a while, but that should not be a problem for us. We know each other pretty well by now and even the guys coming back after injury have played in the tournament before. It will be a challenge, as the Sunwolves have shown their competitiveness in the competition, but ultimately the onus will be on us and how badly we want the win. There is still an outside chance, so we cannot afford any mistakes.”

Kick-off is at 13h35 SA time.

 

The Vodacom Bulls team to face the Sunwolves (with Vodacom Super Rugby caps and points) is: Warrick Gelant (31, 60), Jamba Ulengo (20, 35), Jesse Kriel (58, 55), Johnny Kotze (32, 35), Divan Rossouw (11, 15), Handre Pollard (c; 44, 402), Embrose Papier (6, 0), Hanro Liebenberg (25, 15), Jannes Kirsten 915, 10), Marco van Staden (13, 5), RG Snyman (36, 10), Jason Jenkins (39, 35), Conraad van Vuuren (14, 0), Jaco Visagie (33, 5), Pierre Schoeman (32, 15).

 

Replacements: Edgar Marutlulle (30, 20), Simphiwe Matanzima, Morne Smith (0, 0), Thembelani Bholi (27, 5), Nic de Jager (26, 20), Andre Warner (12, 15), Manie Libbok (8, 6), Dries Swanepoel (9, 10),

 

Non-playing replacements: Adriaan Strauss (156, 95), Lian du Toit (0, 0).

VAN GRAAN CONTRACT ENDS JANUARY 2019

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The Blue Bulls Company would like to confirm that the contract of CEO Barend van Graan will be coming to an end at the end of January 2019.

Van Graan, an absolute asset to the brand, was requested by the board to stay on even after he had reached retirement age in 2015. He was then appointed on a four-year contract, taking his overall tenure with the brand up to 35 years.

President of the BBRU Willem Strauss heaped praise on what Van Graan had achieved with the brand: “Barend is not only the leader of the Blue Bulls Company but also a mentor to his management, staff and players. He has embedded a proud culture and heritage, and there is no doubt that his legacy will still inspire us as we move forward.”

“Even though it will be sad to see him go, we respect his decision to step back and allow new blood to come in and take over the reins. We would like to sincerely wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

More details regarding the process for filling his role will be made in due course. Van Graan will however play a role in the handover process and in making sure his replacement is well settled.

The Blue Bulls Company will do a more fitting tribute closer to the time of his departure.

VODACOM BULLETJIE DAY CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

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Vodacom Bulletjie Day is an occasion that has cemented itself on the Pretoria rugby calendar with young rugby players from all corners of the Blue Bulls catchment area coming together to enjoy a fun day out with the family.

 

This year’s instalment was particularly special as Vodacom Bulletjie Day celebrated 25 years with just over 6000 young and enthusiastic rugby players descending on Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 2 June.

 

Marguerite Prinsloo, Blue Bulls Company: Events Co-Ordinator, explained how the day really encapsulates the family atmosphere of rugby.

 

“Vodacom Bulletjie Rugby is all about fun, family and entertainment and what better place to have this wonderful event, sponsored by Vodacom, than here at Loftus Versfeld, home of the Vodacom Bulls.”

 

Johan Schoeman, Founder of Vodacom Bulletjie Rugby, noted that Vodacom Bulletjie Day is a great opportunity for young players at the world’s largest mini-rugby day.

 

“We all know that this Vodacom Bulletjie Day is definitely the largest mini-rugby day in the world. There was approximately 22000 parents coming through the day from 08:00 until 17:00 and the end result you can see. What a wonderful opportunity.”

 

Steven Mabogwane, Bulletjie Rugby Coach, thanked Vodacom for their efforts in making Vodacom Bulletjie Day a success.

 

“As a father, as a coach, we are very happy to be here and we would like to thank Vodacom for putting smiles on our kids’ faces and for sponsoring this event. We can’t wait to come back next year.”

 

VICTOR TO COACH REVIVED JVL LOFTUS 200 TEAM IN 2018

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The iconic Loftus 200 team will revive this year with a match planned against the Currie Cup team of the Valke on 7th July 2018 at Loftus Versfeld. The JVL Loftus 200 team was established in 1986 as an invitational team featuring leading club players from within the BBRU club structures and have recorded many an impressive victory over Currie Cup teams in the past.

The team will be coached by Victor Matfield with another legendary Blue Bulls Akona Ndungane as Team Manager. Victor will be assisted by Carlton League coaches Gert Mulder of QBR and Marinus van der Watt from Naka Bulls Rugby Club.

According to Mr Willem Strauss, President of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, the JVL Loftus 200 team will fill the vacuum which was created by the cancelling of the National Amateur Tournament. “With the JVL Loftus 200 Team we want to create a pathway for club players to the Blue Bulls Currie Cup squad. It is also part of our strategy to align the structures within the BBRU with one another, thereby broadening the base from which representative teams could be selected”. “I also believe that the days of contracting huge number of players are not financially viable anymore and that we need to create an additional pipeline for players with potential via our schools and club structures, as well as initiatives such as Loftus 200, to eventually progress to professional squads of the Bulls.

Victor Matfield said his blood will always be blue and that he is glad to contribute to the development of young players with potential to play at a higher level. “There are always players, especially at semi-professional club level, that deserves a second chance at professional rugby. This is also a great opportunity for the late developers to get exposure.”

Dr Eugene Hare, Chief Executive Officer of the BBRU confirmed that a second match is planned for JVL Loftus 200 later in the year to give even more exposure to the top club players in the Union. Dr Hare also confirmed that the Blue Bulls Reserve League Team, as well as Limpopo, selected from the non-Carlton league clubs, will play a number of representative matches during this year.

VODACOM BULLS FIGHTING FOR A PLAYOFF SPOT

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The Vodacom Bulls returned to Loftus after losing against the Jaguares and they have no choice but to correct their ship in Round 15 of Vodacom Super Rugby.

 

Cause for concern for the Vodacom Bulls camp would not be so much that they were outplayed by the Jaguares, but more because of the inconsistency in performances. There was a night and day difference between the team that beat the Cell C Sharks and the one that fronted up to the Jaguares. As they like to say in sport, ” the team just didn’t pitch up on the day”. The team seemed to lack urgency and cohesion and the coaches will be hoping to put that down to the long travel time to Argentina, rather than any kind of rugby-related issue.

 

The men from Pretoria did score two tries towards the end of their Argentinean dogfight that added some gloss to the loss but it goes without saying that they let themselves and the Loftus faithful down.

 

The Winning Formula

 

After getting a proverbial hiding from the Emirates Lions last weekend, the Brumbies are also facing a must-win situation in Pretoria.

 

Head to head, the Brumbies hold a considerable advantage over the Vodacom Bulls as they have only lost seven of the 19 matches played but the home team did record an emphatic 44-23 win against their foes from Down Under when they last met at Loftus Versfeld in 2014. The average score is 30-26 to the visitors with the Brumbies scoring an average of four tries to three per game.

 

The Brumbies will be without Rory Arnold as he was red carded for his dangerous tackle on Springbok pivot, Elton Jantjies, and was subsequently banned for three weeks.

 

The visitors will not be too perturbed about him missing out as they have a number of stalwarts in their team including lock Sam Carter, flank David Pocock, flyhalf Christian Lealiifano and wing Henry Speight who have enough experience to know how to win matches.

 

This is one of those games where if the Vodacom Bulls fire anywhere close to 100%, the Brumbies will stand very little chance of a win.

 

Team News

 

On the home front, Vodacom Bulls head coach John Mitchell has welcomed back regular captain and inside centre Burger Odendaal. His return sees Handrè Pollard shift back to flyhalf while Manie Libbok moves to the bench.

 

Amongst the forwards, Nic de Jager starts at blindside as Thembelani Bholi is rested on the bench. On the topic of bench warmers, lock Ruben van Heerden takes over from the injured Hendre Stassen while there is a possible Vodacom Super Rugby debut for prop Mathys Basson who replaces Frans van Wyk.

 

VODACOM BULLS TOURING SQUAD TO ARGENTINA

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Vodacom Bulls coach, John Mitchell, named a squad of 26 players to travel to Buenos Aires, where they will meet the Jaquares in Vodacom Super Rugby clash on Saturday.
The squad included only two players that has not featured in the tournament this season, with Edgar Marutlulle and Matthys Basson added to the squad.

 

Marutlulle has 31 caps to his name already though, while Basson could make a first appearance for the Vodacom Bulls if he is named in the match day squad.
Regular captain Burger Odendaal, was also withdrawn due to a rib injury, and was replaced by JT Jackson, with Handre Pollard taking over the captaincy.
The coach opted for an extra prop, hooker and scrumhalf.
“We are very aware of the importance of this trip. We will be facing a team playing with massive confidence and having their best run in the competition, so it will be a massive task to beat them at home. That said, we have set ourselves some targets this year and winning in Buenos Aires will take us a step closer to achieving those. So, we know what is at stake,” Mitchell said.
The squad is:
Backs: Warrick Gelant, Travis Ismaiel, Johnny Kotze, Divan Rossouw, Jesse Kriel, JT Jackson, Handre Pollard (c), Manie Libbok, Embrose Papier, Ivan van Zyl, André Warner.
Forwards: Themelani Bholi, Nic De Jager, Roelof Smit, Marco van Staden, Jason Jenkins, RG Snyman, Handre Stassen, Trevor Nyakane, Conraad van Vuuren, Matthys Basson, Mox Mxoli, Frans van Wyk, Jaco Visagie, Edgar Marutlulle, Adriaan Strauss.

BULLS

Pollard to lead Vodacom Bulls in Buenos Aires, Libbok to start

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Handre Pollard will lead the Vodacom Bulls in Buenos Aires when they take on the Jaguares in their crucial Vodacom Super Rugby clash at Estadio Jose Amalfitani.

 

Pollard takes over the captaincy from Burger Odendaal, one of three players out injured from the team that beat the Cell C Sharks in Pretoria last weekend and will slot in at inside centre. This will hand a starting debut to Manie Libbok at flyhalf.

 

Libbok made six appearances off the bench for the Vodacom Bulls already.

 

Injured lock, Lood de Jager, will be replaced by Jason Jenkins who will partner RG Snyman for the first time this year.

 

The flanker berth vacated by Jenkins will be filled by Thembelani Bholi, with Handre Stassen taking over the impact role Bholi had against the Cell C Sharks.

Vodacom Bulls coach, John Mitchell named Trevor Nyakane as loose head in place of the injured Lizo Gqoboka, with Conrad van Vuuren moving into the no three jersey.

 

Former Junior Springbok, JT Jackson, has been named on the bench and will make his Vodacom Bulls and Vodacom Super Rugby debut if he takes to the field.

 

“This is a nice challenge for us. We have belief in what we do and where we want to go and that will motivate us on Saturday. The injuries are part of rugby and we need to adapt to play without those three players. Rugby is a team effort anyway and this gives the likes of Manie, JT and Hendre a nice opportunity to express themselves.”

 

The team (with Vodacom Super Rugby caps and points) is: Warrick Gelant (29, 55), Travis Ismaiel (36, 50), Jesse Kriel (56, 55), Handre Pollard (c; 42, 379), Johnny Kotze (30, 30), Manie Libbok (6, 2), Ivan van Zyl (13, 0), Marco van Staden (11, 5), Thembelani Bholi (25, 5), Roelof Smit (23, 10), RG Snyman (34, 10), Jason Jenkins (37, 35), Conraad van Vuuren (12, 0), Adriaan Strauus (154, 95), Trevor Nyakane (89, 15). Replacements: Jaco Visagie (31, 5), Mox Mxoli (4, 0), Frans van Wyk (11, 0), Hendre Stassen (2, 0), Nic de Jager (24, 15), Andre Warner (10, 10), JT Jackson (0, 0), Divan Rossouw (9, 15).

VODACOM BULLS TO FRONT UP AGAINST CELL C SHARKS

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VODACOM SUPER RUGBY – ROUND 12

Lessons were learnt in the Vodacom Bulls 29-17 loss to the DHL Stormers last weekend with the Capetonians controlling the match upfront. The men from Pretoria have reloaded and will be looking for blood as they keep one eye on the knockout stages of the competition.

It was not all doom and gloom for the Vodacom Bulls as they continue to play an attractive brand of rugby with the team attacking with intent. An area of concern will be defending directly after they have scored as it is in this area that they’ve struggled in recent weeks.

But in fairness, nothing can be taken away from the performance of the DHL Stormers on the day. They look a completely different side when they play on their home ground and having captain, Siya Kolisi, celebrating his 100th cap gave them that extra bit of motivation to get the job done.

TEAM NEWS

The Vodacom Bulls will want to return to winning ways at Loftus Versfeld when they host the Cell C Sharks in Round 13 of Vodacom Super Rugby.

The Cell C Sharks have kept a relatively unchanged match day squad from the one that beat the Highlanders last weekend with head coach, Robert du Preez, making only two changes.

Flank Jacques Vermeulen comes in for Philip van der Walt on the side of the scrum while hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle will warm the bench in place of Franco Marais.

The Vodacom Bulls will have to contend with another opposing team milestone as Ralepelle will play in his 100th Vodacom Super Rugby match should he come off the bench while barnstorming inside centre, Andre Esterhuizen, will earn his 50th cap and the visitors will want to make it a winning memory for them.

The Vodacom Bulls welcome back wing Travis Ismaiel and prop Trevor Nyakane as head coach, John Mitchell, adjusted his team ahead of this crucial derby. Marco van Staden starts at no.8 with Thembelani Bholi joining Divan Rossouw on the bench.

 

VODACOM BULLS TO ASSIST IN RAISING FUNDS FOR INJURED PLAYERS

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The Vodacom Bulls return to Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 12 May as they host their KZN counterparts, the Cell C Sharks in what is lining up to be another epic South African derby.

Supporters will be part of something special at Loftus Versfeld as the Vodacom Bulls will do their part in raising awareness for the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players’ Fund, who assist catastrophically injured rugby players to be able to live fulfilling lives.

The rugby loving public are sincerely asked to donate via the dedicated SMS line (SMS “Rugby” and your name to 49701 at R30/SMS – network and admin fees apply) or to the Vodacom Blue Bulls players who will walking around with collection tins. Every bit counts and the #BullsFamily can go a long way in assisting this great cause.

Vodacom’s Smiles for Tries is an initiative close to the Vodacom Bulls’ hearts, and will be looking to increase their contributions with a few more tries (Vodacom donates R3000 for every try scored by a South African team). We are also proud to announce that young Adriaan de Jongh, a 7-year-old recipient of the foundation, and a dear friend to the Vodacom Bulls will be leading the team out on Saturday afternoon.

There will not only be rugby to watch but the little ones can burn off some energy in the extended kids’ corner on the D Field, with our customised giant inflatable and tonnes of kids activities.

Loftus Versfeld has not forgotten the adult supporters who can enjoy a refreshment in the beer garden on the D field before the game. Our all new Castle Corner is a great way to enjoy your Vodacom Bulls experience, and the only place at Loftus that you can indulge in ice cold beer while watching the game (other than in a suite). No U18s and tickets must be pre-purchased.

We encourage you to make use of the safe and secure parking at Loftus Park. Parking tickets cost R100 and is the perfect way to start your afternoon at Loftus Versfeld as the Vodacom Bulls take on the Cell C Sharks in Round 13 of Vodacom Super Rugby.