The Bulls’ depth will be properly tested this coming weekend, after the team traveling to Italy for the Rainbow Cup final was announced on Tuesday morning.

A group of 28 players, excluding the Bulls’ four players involved in the Springbok training group, left for Italy on Monday night.

Meanwhile, the Blue Bulls will also start their 2021 Currie Cup campaign on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld with their first game against WP.

The team, which will be announced later this week, will most likely have to be supplemented by players recruited from the ranks of the clubs. According to the rules of SA Rugby, provincial unions may not contract more than 45 players. With 28 players leaving for Italy and four more involved with the Springboks, the Blue Bulls’ ranks have been thinned out, as several players are still injured.

This could mean that the Blue Bulls will play against WP on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld with a team of which up to half of the players will come from the amateur ranks of the Carlton League clubs.

* Jake White has announced an exciting traveling squad, to embark on their inaugural quest to Italy to be crowned Pro Rugby Rainbow Cup Champions.

The 28-man Bulls travelling party will be headlined by new captain Marcell Coetzee and is made up of 16 forwards and 12 backs.

Forwards

Lizo Gqoboka, Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Schalk Erasmus, Sydney Tobias, Jacques Van Rooyen, Mornay Smith, Robert Hunt, Ruan Nortje, Janko Swanepoel, Jan Uys, Walt Steenkamp, WJ Steenkamp, Muller Uys, Marcell Coetzee, Nizaam Carr

Backs

Ivan Van Zyl, Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Chris Smith, Clinton Swart, Cornal Hendricks, Marco Janse van Vuren, Stravino Jacobs, Madosh Tambwe, Dawid Kellerman, Gio Aplon, David Kriel

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