Rising prop Steenekamp says he’s at the right place at the Bulls

Bulls prop Gerhard Steenekamp has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few seasons and established himself as a key man in the Bulls setup, and along the way, he’s also become a Springbok.

Steenekamp made his Bok debut against Argentina in Buenos Aires this year in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup after being called into the national squad as an injury replacement — confirmation that he is on the right track.

“It’s a very big privilege (to have been called into the Boks), the hard work paid off in some sense. It shows you’re on the right way, and you must just keep on doing what you’re doing. The hard work starts now, I have achieved nothing yet. I have to make sure I keep on working,” Steenekamp said when speaking to The Citizen.

Bok future?

The 26-year-old is coming into his own as he approaches the peak age for a prop.

With 2007 Rugby World Cup winning coach Jake White at the helm at the Bulls, Steenkamp believes he’s at the right union to help him reach his full potential and be part of the Bok system in future.

“That comes from being in the right team as well; the Bulls at the moment are giving me an opportunity where I’m able to live out my rugby dreams. You have the best coaching staff and the best players around you here,” said the prop.

“The desire for more (Springboks caps) is there. But I can only control what I can control. I can’t fast-forward it, all I can do is make sure I work hard and give my best for the Bulls. That’s when they will hopefully give me another shot. From my side, all I can do is give my best for the union.”

URC

The Bulls began their third United Rugby Championship with a clinical performance against Scarlets at Loftus Versfeld last weekend, beating them 63-21, creating expectation of a big and successful campaign.

“I won’t say there is any pressure on us, it’s our third URC season, and we’ve grown a lot,” said Steenekamp.

“We were a bunch of younger guys in the beginning, and all those younger guys are three years older now. That alone is going to make an impact on us.

“There’s no pressure on us but a desire to keep the Bulls name high and make sure we put the jersey in a better place,” he said.

The Pretoria side are currently in Ireland, where they will take on Ulster in their second URC match of the season on Sunday at the Kingspan Stadium.