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White picks Bok-laden Bulls squad for URC tour to Europe
The Bulls have won two out of two so far and will look to register three more wins in Europe this month.
Lock Ruan Nortje is one of several Boks in the Bulls’ URC tour squad. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
Bulls coach Jake White has picked the majority of his available Springboks for the team’s three-match tour of Europe this month.
The Bulls have made a strong start to the 2024/25 United Rugby Championship season, winning their opening two games against Edinburgh and Ulster.
They will now travel to Europe and take on the Ospreys, Scarlets and Benetton before returning home for a month when the European Test season takes place during November. They will then return to Europe for a further match against Connacht before coming home for the December period.
Bok stars
While White said at the weekend he was unsure about who of the Bok players was available to be selected for this month’s trip, due to national players needing rest and weekends off, he has picked most of his current Boks who featured in the recent Rugby Championship, as well as a few others who have played Test rugby before.
The one recent Bok player to stay home is flanker Marco van Staden while Johan Goosen will also not travel north. Van Staden has been told to rest, according to national protocols, while Goosen is recovering from a nose operation.
The current Boks in the squad are Gerhard Steenekamp, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Ruan Nortje, Elrigh Louw, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie and Willie le Roux.
Other Boks in the group are Akker van der Merwe, Wilco Louw, Marcell Coetzee, Embrose Papier and Aphiwe Dyantyi.
The 33-man squad will be on tour through Europe at the same time the Lions are up north.
Squad
Forwards: Gerhard Steenekamp, Dylan Smith, Alulutho Tsakweni, Mornay Smith, Wilco Louw, Francois Klopper, Johan Grobbelaar, Akker van der Merwe, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ruan Nortje, Cobus Wiese, Ruan Vermaak, Reinhard Ludwig, JF van Heerden, Sintu Manjezi, Nama Xaba, Marcell Coetzee, Mpilo Gumede, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw
Backs: Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Embrose Papier, Boeta Chamberlain, Chris Smit, Harold Vorster, Stedman Gans, David Kriel, Canan Moodie, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sebastian de Klerk, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Willie le Roux, Henry Immelman
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