Former Springboks hooker Akker van der Merwe has joined famed South African outfit the Bulls after quitting English Premiership membership Sale Sharks, officers confirmed on Friday.
“We are gutted to be losing him because he has been instrumental in everything we have done since I have been here,” stated Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson.
“Akker brings infectious energy to everything he does and you can hear him through the walls around the training ground.”
Although the Bulls haven’t formally introduced his signing, an official instructed AFP Van der Merwe is becoming a member of the franchise after former Springboks hooker Bismarck du Plessis retired this month.
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Van der Merwe will compete for the quantity two shirt with Johan Grobbelaar, thought-about unfortunate by many observers to not be in rivalry for a 2023 Rugby World Cup place.
Beefing up the squad
The 32-year-old ahead is the newest signing by the Bulls, after director of rugby Jake White stated that they need to strengthen their squad in the event that they hope to problem for European trophies.
Bulls received Super Rugby 3 times in 4 seasons from 2007 and are the second most profitable aspect within the main home competitors, the Currie Cup, with 25 titles.
But after beautiful Leinster in Dublin to achieve the 2022 United Rugby Championship (URC) ultimate, which they misplaced to fellow South Africans the Stormers, the Bulls have battled in Europe.
This yr, they suffered a 33-9 hammering from Toulouse within the Champions Cup spherical of 16 and misplaced 33-21 to the Stormers in a URC quarter-final.
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