Former Springbok leaves Bulls for Boland

Veteran Springbok Cornal Hendricks has left the Bulls to return to boost Boland’s hopes of securing a spot in the Currie Cup Premier Division.

According to a report by South African source IOL Sport, Hendricks has departed from the Bulls after his contract expired in September and is closing in on a return to Boland.

The 36-year-old could provide a significant boost to Hawies Fourie’s reigning back-to-back Currie Cup First Division champions, who are hoping to secure promotion to the Premier Division next year.

Hendricks, who was raised in Wellington and represented Boland at youth level, started his professional career with the Cavaliers in 2008, making 68 appearances before moving to the Cheetahs in 2014.

Hendricks was given a rugby lifeline by the Bulls in 2019, after spending four years without a team as a heart condition forced him to put his professional career temporarily on hold.

Since moving to Loftus Versfeld, Hendricks formed a key part of Jake White’s plans, winning back-to-back Currie Cup titles in 2021 and helping the Bulls progress to the inaugural Vodacom URC final in 2022.

If he does return to Boland, he would be the only capped Springbok in the squad, which also contains former Sharks flyhalf Garth April.