The open secret which has already done all the rounds, has been confirmed.
Apart from Waylon Murray and Jacques “Vleis” Engelbrecht joining the Blue Bulls, Bandise Maku and David Bullbring (both Kings) and Callie Visagie (Golden Lions) have signed and will join the Blue Bulls with immediate effect, in deals stretching to the end of 2016.
The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd was pleased to announce a number of signings ahead of the 2013 Absa Currie Cup and 2014 Vodacom Super Rugby season.
Three players from the Southern Kings franchise, Bandise Maku, Jacques Engelbrecht and David Bullbring have agreed terms with the BBC. They will join the Vodacom Blue Bulls with immediate effect and will be available to the team’s Absa Currie Cup 2013 campaign. They have been released by the Kings and will officially join the Vodacom Blue Bulls on Sunday, 11 August.
Maku, who won the Vodacom Super Rugby title with the Vodacom Bulls in 2010 and the Currie Cup with the MTN Golden Lions in 2011, has signed for three years and will remain with the union till October 2016.
Engelbrecht, who has represented the Springbok Sevens team earlier in his career, has also signed till 31 October 2016.
Bullbring, who turns 24 next month, played Vodacom Super Rugby with the MTN Lions and Southern Kings and has also signed till October 2016.
High Performance Manager Xander Janse van Rensburg also confirmed on Thursday that hooker Callie Visagie has been granted an immediate release from the Golden Lions and will join the BBC till October 2016. Visagie has been on loan from the Lions for the Super Rugby season, but this now becomes a permanent move.
“With the Southern Kings not qualifying for the 2014 Super Rugby tournament, these players became available and we are pretty pleased to get them to sign with us.
“Bandise and Callie will step in the breach left by the departing Chiliboy Ralepelle, David will fill the gap left by Juandre Kruger and Jacques will take over the role played by the two Potgieters. Waylon Murray, who joined us earlier in the week will add depth to our midfield ranks where the exit of Wynand Olivier and Francois Venter made us a bit thin on experience.”
All the Bulls need now is a great Flyhalf, at least one great winger and a Fullback…. then they are halfway to replacing their 10 departing Springboks…
Callie Visagie needs to practice, practice, practice his lineout throwing…. day after day after day.
Bandise Maku will have to be re-educated back into the Bulls fold and Bulls way..
David Bullbring needs to be a sponge for what Victor Matfield needs to hammer into his head… not a bad buy though.
I have a feeling Vleis Engelbrecht will go from strenght to strenght.
But why Waylon, crab-running, sick-note Murray????
@ grootblousmile:
Callie is a hooker in the Bismark Du Plessis mould, but his lineout throwing as you say, leaves a lot to be desired. I used to get a knot in my stomach every time he threw in while he was at the Lions.
I can’t understand why the Lions let Bulbring go. Maku was looking good before he left the Lions, and I hope he has a good season, except against the Lions.
3 @ Lion4ever:
I don’t have a problem with Callie’s energy, I have a problem with his accuracy…
Well, at least the Kings’ served as a stage to have these players show of their wares.
Vleis and Demitri will both be Springboks soon.
Sargeal Pietersen is another star in the making, and Andries Strauss is still worth his weight and green and gold, one of the fiercest tacklers in world rugby.
@ grootblousmile:
@4 Another Deon Fourie.
Bulls building a decent squad again.
Just don’t know whether these signings are just fringe squad players though.
Going to be an interesting CC. Fancy FS to do VERY well.
Goeie nuus vir al julle long suffering Bulls ondersteuners. Na die Super Rugby semi het die Bulls bestuur lank en hard gepraat agter toe deure en hulle het uiteindelik erken daar is ‘n intelligensie probleem. Oom Frans en kie het in hulle wysheid besluit daar is net een vinnige oplossing, en dit is om vir die manne ‘n ietsie ekstra te voer om moeder natuur bietjie te help. So al die kapteinskandidate vir die naderende CC seisoen gebruik nou Quickslim.
8 @ Alibaba:
Hehehehe, janee, ons sal nie die einde hiervan hoor nie!
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