Willie le Roux becomes a Blue Bull

Springbok fullback Willie le Roux will be playing in the United Rugby Championship next season after it was confirmed that he will join the Pretoria based Blue Bulls earlier today. 

Le Roux is set to arrive at Loftus Versfeld once the Springboks conclude their World Cup campaign later this year.

Having recently ended a four-year stint with Japanese club Verblitz, rumours began circulating that Le Roux was planning on making a retrun to a South African team.

It was believed that The Stormers and Sharks were two of the front runners to land the Springbok talismans signature, however the Bulls have now won the race.

Le Roux, who has 83 Test caps to his name and is a World Cup winner, played for the Sharks, Griquas, Cheetahs and Boland before a move to English side Wasps and the heading to Japan thereafter.

Le Roux is currently with the Springok squad, and is set to start for South Africa in the Rugby Championship where he will wear the No.15 jersey against the Wallabies in Saturday’s opener in Pretoria.

“Willie is a world-class player with so much experience behind him,” said Blue Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone.

“Our stable is sure to benefit from having a player with more than 83 caps for his national side. Moreover, we believe that his wealth of experience will really add more stability to our backline.”

Rathbone added: “We are continuing with our ambitions of putting together a squad that can help us not only challenge but go for the crowns whilst playing some entertaining rugby and he is a player that falls into classification. We are all confident that his versatility will be appreciated by both the young and the wise.

“We of course wish him and the Springboks well for the upcoming Rugby Championship and cannot wait to have him join us later in the year.”

The Bulls have been very busy in the transfer market recently, having confirmed the signing of fellow Bok player, Armand van der Merwe as well, while last week the Bulls also announced that Celimpilo Gumede, Sebastian de Klerk, Sergeal Petersen, Khutha Mchunu and Jaco van der Walt all signed on the dotted line.

Earlier this year, the Bulls signed Wilco Louw and Jannes Kirsten ahead of the 2023/2024 season.