Bulls announce end-of-year tour squad

Jake White, the Vodacom Bulls director of rugby, has named his 34-men touring squad for the end-of-year tour to Ireland and England.

White’s herd first take on Connacht in round 7 of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in the West of Ireland and then travel South East to Saracens where they begin their 2025 campaign in the Investec Champions Cup at the StoneX Stadium on the Hendon-Mill Hill borders in London.

The squad features a balance of seasoned campaigners and the returning Springboks from the recently concluded Autumn Nations International duty in the Northern Hemisphere. There are notable returns for Johan Goosen and Jannes Kirsten who missed out on the three-week tour pre-international break.

The tour party also includes Deon Slabbert, who returns to the club on a short-term loan stint whilst Reinhardt Ludwig and his club captain, Ruan Nortje, nurse their injuries. Ludwig picked up his strain during the three-week tour preluding the Autumn Nations, where Nortje sustained his injury whilst on national duty. From his previous stint, Slabbert has six appearances for the club across the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup. The lock will remain at the club until the end of the year.

VODACOM BULLS END-OF-YEAR TOURING SQUAD

Forwards: Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni, Cameron Hanekom, Celimpilo Gumede, Cobus Wiese, Deon Slabbert, Dylan Smith, Elrigh Louw, Francois Klopper, Gerhard Steenekamp, Jannes Kirsten, JF van Heerden, Johan Grobbelaar, Juann Else, Kuyenzeka Xaba, Marcell Coetzee, Marco van Staden, Mornay Smith, Sebastian Lombard, Ruan Vermaak, Wilco Louw

Backs: Aphiwe Dyantyi, Boeta Chamberlain, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Devon Williams, Embrose Papier, Harold Vorster, Johan Goosen, Keagan Johannes, Sebastian de Klerk, Stedman Gans, Willie le Roux, Zak Burger