White picks Bok-laden Bulls squad for URC tour to Europe

Bulls coach Jake White has picked all 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 all his current Boks who featured in the recent Rugby Championship, as well as a few others who have played Test rugby before.

The one Bok and one of the Bulls’ most influential players of recent times, flyhalf Johan Goosen, is not in the tour party.

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

Backs: Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Embrose Papier, Jaco van der Walt, Boeta Chamberlain, Chris Smit, Stedman Gans, David Kriel, Canan Moodie, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sebastian de Klerk, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Willie le Roux, Henry Immelman