Since rugby became a professional sport, professional players have become estranged from club rugby.

One of the Blue Bulls president, Willem Strauss’ current projects is to restore the bond between rugby communities at different levels, as it was in the days before professionalism. Therefore, it was decided to reconnect professional players to clubs.

The Harlequins Rugby Club created a special opportunity last week to introduce their professional players to the club environment. These players received their club outfit and they were given the opportunity to visit the clubhouse with the club’s management afterwards.

Players like Duane Vermeulen, Mhleli Dlamini, Henco Beukes, Sintu Manjezi, Trevor Nyakane, Chris Smith, Stravino Jacobs and Joe van Zyl were all assigned to Harlequins and only Vermeulen and Van Zyl, who are both currently injured, were not present at the event last week.

The Bulls’ director of rugby, Jake White, also attended the event. He addressed the club players shortly before their last practice of the week, in preparation for their Carlton League match against Centurion. Dlamini (tight head prop) and Beukes (number eight) were both in action for Quins against Centurion on Saturday.

In the presence of the professional players, White expressed his gratitude and admiration for the club players, who are keeping the game alive and healthy on club level, purely out of love for the game of rugby.

White gave the players the assurance that their matches will be watched and that opportunities will be created for top club players to also play for the Bulls.

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