As the Bulls are currently playing in their first season under Johan Ackermann, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg is also looking forward to experiencing the new culture in this team, which he says makes it a different experience entirely to his time in France.

Having already immersed himself in a tough pre-season and the opening rounds of the United Rugby Championship, the lock is currently recovering from an injury, but should be ready to play his part again in the team’s URC campaign later this year.

“This team, and coach Johan Ackermann, is very focused on the team principles, what the team stands for and the culture within the group,” said Janse van Rensburg during a recent interview.

He is back with the Bulls team where his career started before spending the last nine years with French Top 14 giants Montpellier.

“The focus on team culture is a completely different approach to my experience at Montpellier. In the nine years I played there we didn’t speak about any culture. It’ something I appreciate at the Bulls. Here we all have similar backgrounds and visions for the team, so it’s much easier to connect with your fellow players. Being with old and new friends is really enjoyable. I mean, my roommate when I was 19 years old was Wilco Louw. It’s fun being back and connecting with old friends,” he remarked.

Janse van Rensburg admits it’s been a new experience all round for him after leaving the Bulls as a young player in 2016, becoming a battle-hardened forward in the French Top 14 and winning an EPCR Challenge Cup with Montpellier.

“The first day when I drove back into Loftus I had goosebumps from head to toe. It’s really good to be back. I grew up as a Bulls supporter. I went to school at Affies (Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool) just across the road. This was a team I dreamt of playing for as a boy.

According to Janse van Rensburg, moving overseas was a bit of a risk.

“However, there are so many games in France during a season. So to get game time in France was easier if you’re in the system there because of the number of teams over there. I made the decision to go so I could get more gametime and it paid off. I’m grateful for that time in my life,” he explained.

For him the United Rugby Championship is completely different to what he was used to.

“The teams in this competition are much more structured and coached to a fine detail, whereas in France they play a bit more unstructured. So being back here and in a bit more structure and being coached in a different way is something I’ve looked forward to and enjoyed so far,” he said.

After a good start, the Bulls have had a few setbacks, but Janse van Rensburg believes their campaign will get back on track and he is eager to do his part again as soon as he is fit again.

“There are still a lot of games to play and squad rotation is a big part of the modern game. That’s a challenge in itself – creating enough cohesion and then not overplaying the players. For us it’s about getting over that final hurdle. But we obviously have a long road to go and a lot of games to play. We’ll see where the season takes us,” he concluded.

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@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