Former Springbok centre Jan Serfontein is back with the Bulls after almost eight years in France, and looking to make his mark.
Veteran centre Jan Serfontein is back in South Africa and fired up to make his mark with the Bulls when the United Rugby Championship (URC) season kicks off next weekend.
The 32-year-old Serfontein was born in Gqeberha and attended both Grey High and Grey College, and began his senior career at the Bulls back in 2012.
He won the 2012 Junior World Championship title with the Junior Springboks, alongside Handré Pollard, who has also returned to the Bulls for the coming season, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Steven Kitshoff, amongst others, and also picked up 35 caps for the Springboks between 2013 and 2017.
He left the Bulls in 2017 for Montpellier in France, where he spent the past eight seasons, before being snapped back up by his old franchise, and he admitted that although it was a good experience, he was happy to be back in SA with his family.
Happy to be back
“We (Serfontein, his wife and child) are very happy to be back in South Africa. We missed it here, we were away for almost eight years, so we missed the country and especially rugby this side too. So I am very excited and it’s great to be back,” said Serfontein.
“It’s difficult to describe those eight years in France, but it was a good experience and I enjoyed it. There were obviously quite a few challenges that I had to overcome, being a foreigner in a different country and (playing) in a different competition.
“The rugby was also quite different to what we are used to here (in SA). So there were quite a few challenges, and a lot of ups and downs. There wasn’t a lot of stability and it was often challenging. But I think I grew a lot as a person over there.”
During his time at Montpellier Serfontein contributed to them reaching three major finals, two of which they won, including him starting in the 2020-21 Challenge Cup final, where they beat Leicester Tigers 18-17 to lift the title.
But his crowning moment came during the 2021-22 French Top 14 season, where he helped Montpellier win the only Top 14 title in their history, as he also started in the final with them triumphing over Castres 29-10.
“I definitely think that was the highlight of my time there, winning the title in 2022. It’s just a pity that there wasn’t a lot of consistency. The results were always quite a mixed bag and you never knew what was going to happen on the weekend,” explained Serfontein.
Wide open
“In terms of the rugby there, the competition is so wide open. Any given weekend any team can beat one of the others. Also the fact that there was promotion and relegation to the competition, that adds a bit more pressure throughout the whole season.
“There are a lot of internationals playing in the top 14, a lot of guys from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, which really made things quite physical, and in general the game is a bit slower.
“It’s also a very long season. You play around 30 pool games, between the Top 14 and the European (EPCR) competition, and then even more if you make the knockout rounds. So that takes quite a toll on your body, and it’s a long, tough season.”
Serfontein admits that deciding to return to the Bulls was an easy decision to make, and he is now looking forward to making his mark over the coming season in both the URC and Champions Cup competitions.
“I really enjoyed my time here in Pretoria at the Bulls, I think I was here for six seasons. So when I got the opportunity to come back it was a no brainer. There are also still a few familiar faces around, which makes it a bit easier to settle in and get back into rugby here,” he said.
“I followed their games while I was over there. They have been the best performing South African team, with a lot of depth, amazing fans, and a great coaching staff and that all obviously made the decision to return here an easy one.”
