Blue Bulls enter Currie Cup tournament with good mix of youth and experience
The management of the Blue Bulls' Currie Cup team has named a group of players that includes several rising young stars, as well as four Springboks and a Scottish international player, for the upcoming Currie Cup tournament.
The Bulls showed that they are serious about winning the Currie Cup this year, when Coach Phiwe Nomlomo named his squad for this tournament, which kicks off this coming weekend.
No fewer than six of the players who starred for the Junior Springboks in winning the u.20 World Championship and four Springboks are among those named in Nomlomo’s squad for the tournament.
The robust health of the union’s junior pathways is further reflected in another 10 players being u.21, which signals both ambition and confidence on the part of Nomlomo and his coaching team. Thus, more than 50 percent of the squad (excluding the injured list) is comprised of club and u.21 players.
Former SA u.20 player Nama Xaba, a flanker, will captain the side this season. Ahead of this weekend’s start against Western Province in Cape Town, Nomlomo hailed South African rugby’s oldest competition as a “great opportunity for the players to go out and do their best for themselves and the jersey”.
He said he was excited that incoming Bulls URC coach, Johan Ackermann, would be able to see the Currie Cup squad first hand, and to run the rule over the depth at Loftus Versfeld.
“They’ve put in the work,” said Nomlomo, who is under no illusions as to the strength of the competition.
Photo: Supplied
– Loose head prop Lizo Gqoboka, who is back at Loftus Versfeld after his stint in Cape Town, lock Marvin Orie, wing Aphiwe Dyantyi and veteran flank, Nizaam Carr, are the four Springboks in the group, while Stedman Gans is a sevens Bok.
– The 31-year-old flyhalf, Jaco van der Walt, played four tests for Scotland in 2020 and 2021.
– The world champion Junior Boks who will wear Blue Bulls colours are Esethu Mnebelele, Jacobus Grobbelaar, Jean Erasmus, JJ Theron, Cheswill Jooste and Demitre Erasmus.
The full squad for the Currie Cup season is:
Forwards: Abri van der Westhuysen; Cassie Badenhorst; Dylan de Leeuw; Dylan Smith; Esethu Mnebelele; Francois Klopper; Jacobus Grobbelaar; Jean Erasmus; Jeandré Rudolph; JJ Theron; Joe van Zyl; Junior Pokomela; Lizo Gqoboka; Marco Ferreira; Marvin Orie; Nama Xaba (captain); Ruan Swart; Shaun Schurmann and Sintu Manjezi.
Backs: Boeta Chamberlain; Brooklyn Newmann; Cheswill Jooste; Chris Barend Smit; Daimon O’Connell; Demitre Erasmus; Henry Immelman; Jaco van der Walt; Katlego Letebele; Liam Koen; PA van Niekerk; Riyaad Bam; Stedman Gans; Steven Nel; Stravino Jacobs and Zak Burger.
Injured players: Aphiwe Dyantyi; Celimpilo Gumede; Corné Beets; Cornel Smit; Heinrich Theron; Juann Else; Khutha Mchunu; Nizaam Carr and Simphiwe Matanzima.
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