The Bulls and Springbok lock, Juandré Kruger’s third shift at Loftus Versfeld came to an official – and very unsatisfactorily – end last week when it was announced that he and the Blue Bulls Company have reached a mutual settlement agreement. The 35-year-old lock forward re-joined the Bulls late last year and added five more Super Rugby caps at the start of the 2020 SuperRugby season (pre Covid-19) to contribute towards the 31 caps earned between 2011 and 2013. Kruger’s first shift at Loftus Versfeld lasted just one season when, after a series of brilliant performances in the 2008 Currie Cup season, he went to England to play for Northampton Saints for two years. He then returned to Pretoria for a second stint of four seasons between 2010 and 2013. It was also during this period that he earned his Springbok colours and played in 17 Tests between June 2012 and October 2013. Before returning to Loftus Versfeld earlier this year, he has played for clubs such as Racing Metro and Toulon in France and Scarlets in Wales since 2013. Kruger developed a reputation of being a lineout maestro and no-nonsense tight forward while he was with the Bulls. Unfortunately for him, he was probably the right man at the wrong time at Loftus Versfeld when he was in the best era of his career. This intelligent player and strong leader could have become a great legend for both the Bulls and the Springboks, but his talents and abilities were never fully exploited, due to the fact that his career clashed with those of other legends. With his knowledge, experience and proven rugby brain, Kruger should probably be able to pursue a very successful career as a rugby coach, but it is also known that he has been a skilled businessman since his young days. “Kruger has always been the utmost professional. He has been exemplary as a player in terms of his work ethic, dedication and passion to his craft. We wish him all the best with his future endeavours,” said Bulls CEO, Edgar Rathbone. Kruger humbly thanked the Bulls for the part they played in his career. “I will always cherish my time spent in a Bulls jersey, and would like to wish the players, staff and management at Loftus everything of the best going forward. I’d also like to say a massive thank you to all those that have helped shape me as a player and as a person,” he concluded.  

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram