Players from six different teams have been named in the Upstox Most Valuable Team of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.
Stars from champions England, runners-up Pakistan, semi-finalists India and New Zealand as well as Zimbabwe and South Africa all feature in the glittering line up.
Captain, wicketkeeper and opening batter Jos Buttler, fellow opener Alex Hales and seamer Sam Curran all make the cut for England after helping steer their side to a second ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title.
There are also spots for New Zealand star Glenn Phillips, India talisman Virat Kohli – the tournament’s leading run-scorer – Pakistan left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza in the line-up.
The side was pulled together by a selection panel featuring commentators, former international players and journalists Ian Bishop (Convener), Mel Jones (both commentators), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (ICC Hall of Famer), Partha Bhaduri (Journalist, The Times of India), Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager of Cricket).
The Upstox Most Valuable Team of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 (in batting order) is:
1. Alex Hales (England) – 212 runs at 42.40
2. Jos Buttler (c/wk) (England) – 225 runs at 45.00 and nine dismissals
3. Virat Kohli (India) – 296 runs at 98.66
4. Suryakumar Yadav (India) – 239 runs at 59.75
5. Glenn Phillips (New Zealand) – 201 runs at 40.20
6. Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) – 219 runs at 27.37 and 10 wickets at 15.60
7. Shadab Khan (Pakistan) – 98 runs at 24.50 and 11 wickets at 15.00
8. Sam Curran (England) – 13 wickets at 11.38
9. Anrich Nortje (South Africa) – 11 wickets at 8.54
10. Mark Wood (England) – 9 wickets at 12.00
11. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan) – 11 wickets at 14.09
12th player: Hardik Pandya (India) – 128 runs at 25.60 and eight wickets at 18.25
Hales was featuring in his first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup since 2016 but rediscovered his fluency on the big stage with an impressive set of performances. The power-packed opener racked up a haul of 212 runs at a healthy average of 42.40 to help propel his team to victory in Sunday’s final in Melbourne. Hales struck a brilliant 86 not out to fire England to a memorable 10-wicket victory against India in the semi-finals, with Buttler also hitting a similarly eye-catching 80 not out as his side chased down an imposing target of 169 with ease. And further innings of 52 and 47 against New Zealand and Sri Lanka in crucial Super 12s matches proved equally significant to help England on their way to becoming the first country to hold both the ICC Men’s World Cup and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup titles at the same time.
England skipper Buttler was in similarly blistering form throughout the competition, scoring 13 runs more than his opening partner at an average of 45.00. He led from the front with that fine innings against India in the last four, while a further knock of 73 off 47 balls against New Zealand helped cap a potent opening partnership that consistently laid the foundations for the eventual champions.
Batting at No.3 is Indian superstar Kohli, who ended as the tournament’s highest run-scorer after scoring 296 runs at a stunning average of 98.66. Kohli kickstarted his campaign with a pivotal 82 not out against rivals Pakistan to anchor his side to a heart-thumping final-ball four-wicket victory.
And further knocks of 64 not out against Bangladesh, 62 not out against the Netherlands and 50 against England in the semi-finals helped round off an individual competition to savour for one of the greatest white-ball batters of the modern era.
Fellow Indian Yadav slots in at No.4 after finishing as the tournament’s third-most prolific batter with 239 runs overall.
Three half centuries against the Netherlands – 51 not out in Sydney – South Africa – 68 in Perth – and Zimbabwe – 61 not out off just 25 balls in Melbourne – helped haul his side into the semi-finals as he scored at a staggering strike rate of 189.68 throughout his six innings.
New Zealand star Phillips and Zimbabwe ace Raza occupy the No.5 and 6 positions, with Phillips’ stunning century – one of just two in the tournament alongside South Africa’s Rillee Rossouw – against Sri Lanka catapulting his team to a comfortable 65-run victory in Sydney. Another innings of 62 against England helped him reach a total of 201 runs at an average of 40.20, while for Raza, 219 runs and 10 wickets proved pivotal assets for Zimbabwe with both bat and ball.
He scored a polished 82 off his 48 balls in his country’s opening game against Ireland in Hobart, before further batting contributions against Scotland, Netherland and India – bolstered by a brilliant three for 25 as Zimbabwe stunned Pakistan in Perth – rounded off a tournament to remember.
Completing the middle order is Pakistan all-rounder Shadab, who grabbed an impressive 11 wickets at an average of just 15.00. The skilful leg-spinner bagged three-wicket hauls against Zimbabwe and the Netherlands, while a further four combined wickets against South Africa and Bangladesh saw him emerge as one of the tournament’s most influential slow bowlers. And he was similarly impressive with the bat, striking a solid 92 runs at an average of 24.50 to help fire his side to the final in Melbourne.
Curran and Nortje line up at No.8 and 9, with England ace Curran being crowned Player of the Tournament after a series of spellbinding bowling displays. The left-arm seamer claimed remarkable figures of 3 for 12 off his four overs in the final after getting his tournament underway with a similarly scintillating five for 10 against Afghanistan.
And further two-wicket displays against Ireland and New Zealand helped him grab a haul of 13 wickets at an average of 11.38 as England claimed the title in style. Another bowler who starred was pace ace Nortje, who functioned as a vital weapon in South Africa’s armoury after finishing with a tournament-best average of just 8.54. Nortje conceded just 94 runs while in the process of taking his 11 wickets as four scalps against both Bangladesh and Pakistan helped him become one of the competition’s most fearsome bowlers.
Rounding off the side at No.10 and 11 are fellow pace bowlers Wood and Afridi, who took nine and 11 wickets respectively for England and Pakistan. Despite being ruled out of the semi-finals and final through injury, Wood’s consistency throughout the Super 12s – spearheaded by three wickets against Afghanistan and Ireland – saw him finish the tournament with an average of just 12.00. And for Afridi, who also suffered an unfortunate injury in Sunday’s Final, his figures of four for 22 against Bangladesh and three for 14 against South Africa helped him emulate his new-ball heroics in last year’s tournament as Pakistan were narrowly denied in Melbourne.
Taking his place as 12th man is Indian all-rounder Pandya, who starred with both bat and ball by racking up 128 runs and eight wickets. The dangerous middle-order ace blasted 63 against England in the semi-finals after also taking key wickets against Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe throughout the Super 12s.
[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]
The much-anticipated SA20 blasts off with an exciting Western Cape derby between MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals at Newlands Cricket Ground on Tuesday, 10 January. The full match schedule of 33 matches to be played at six venues across the country was announced today, with only two months to go until the start of South Africa’s premier T20 League.
MI Cape Town will look to captivate the Newlands faithful with their star-studded line-up that includes Proteas spearhead Kagiso Rabada, Afghanistan spin maestro Rashid Khan, England’s six-hitting specialist Liam Livingstone, and South Africa’s teenage sensation, Dewald Brevis among others.
The Royals have assembled an equal galaxy of stars that is headlined by England white-ball captain Jos Buttler, along with his Lords’ 2019 World Cup-winning teammates Jason Roy and Eoin Morgan. They will be joined by Proteas trio David Miller, Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi, who are under the guidance of former Proteas all-rounder JP Duminy as head coach.
The opening game, along with the remaining 32 matches, will all be broadcast exclusively live on SuperSport in Sub-Saharan Africa and Viacom18 Sports to India’s cricket-loving and passionate fanbase.
“Releasing fixtures for the opening season is a milestone for us all at SA20," League Commissioner, Graeme Smith said. “It’s all getting very real, we certainly can’t wait to watch the world’s best go head-to-head. Fans can look forward to the blockbuster schedule kicking off with the popular local derby between MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals on 10 January.
“Fans will be able to watch the best local and international T20 stars live in action at prime viewing times for the afternoon and evening matches. This is also an ideal broadcasting slot ensuring viewers around the world can also keep up with the enthralling entertainment,” Smith explained.
The action is relentless with the SA20 caravan moving around the country for two weeks, with at least one game every single day until Thursday, 24 January. Each team will play five home and five away matches, with fans finally getting a taste of what the IPL-owned teams will be bringing to the local flavour.
Among these matches is five visits to St George’s Park where the Sunrisers Eastern Cape and their 12th man, the famous brass band, will ensure every visit to Gqeberha is a memorable one.
The first Highveld derby between the Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals is set for the Wanderers Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, 17 January. The JSK squad is brimmed with speed merchants Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, West Indian Alzarri Joseph and England’s George Garton who are all set to steam in at the Bullring. The Capitals will be equally up to the challenge, with Proteas speedsters Anrich Nortje and Wayne Parnell leading alongside Ireland’s Josh Little.
Everyone will be able to catch their breath for a week towards the end of January when the League takes a break for the three-match One-Day International Series between the Proteas and England. The action resumes at Kingsmead for the clash between hosts Durban's Super Giants and MI Cape Town on Thursday, 2 February.
Lance Klusener’s men will look to make their home-ground advantage count as this will be the first of only two matches played at Kingsmead in the second half of schedule with the remainder of the games all taking place at Wanderers and SuperSport Park in Centurion due to the ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup to be hosted in South Africa in February.
The grand final will be staged at the Wanderers on Saturday, 11 February, where the first-ever SA20 Champions will be crowned.
“The Wanderers has hosted many memorable finals throughout the years, we expect a full house in attendance to watch the first-ever SA20 Champions lifting the trophy. We are thankful to have the buy-in from all six franchises to make this season a success and we look forward to making this inaugural season of the SA20 something special for the fans!”
[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]
POTCHEFSTROOM: The Momentum Multiply Titans were crowned the 2022/23 Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Challenge champions at the JB Marks Oval on Saturday.
Dolphins had won the toss and opted to bat first when Ayabulela Gqamane’s first ball dismissed leading run-scorer, Grant Roelofsen, without any runs.
Keegan Petersen (63 off 51) and Jon-Jon Smuts (69 off 50) remained calm and combined for a century to set the Dolphins up for a competitive total. Petersen’s knock consisted of six boundaries and two maximums whilst Smuts blasted eight boundaries and one maximum.
A brilliant penultimate over from Dayyaan Galiem, which only conceded three runs saw the departure of Smuts. Jason Smith (21* off 7) and Andile Simelane (8*) played well in the end to see Dolphins on 162/3 in 20 overs.
With the target set on 163 runs, the Tshwane-men paced their chase well to reach the required score with two balls to spare.
The Dolphins were well within their defence when Daryn Dupavillon (2/34) dismissed openers, Dewald Brevis (2), and Jiveshen Pillay (18)within powerplay. Theunis de Bruyn (32 off 19) and Sibonelo Makhanya (13) were caught by Eathan Bosch going for maximum points. Neil Brand (18 off 19 ) was caught and bowled by Smuts and Titans slipped to 98/5 in 14 overs.
Donavon Ferreira (40 off 25) and Dayaan Galiem (32* off 22) played the crucial knocks which took Titans over the line. The pair combined for 63-runs in the final five overs to take the match to an exciting finish. Ferreira was run out in the final over with Titans needing three from three. On the next delivery, Galiem smashed a boundary to end the innings on 165/6 and Titans were crowned champions of the CSA T20 Challenge.
[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]
POTCHEFSTROOM: The Momentum Multiply Titans were crowned the 2022/23 Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Challenge champions at the JB Marks Oval on Saturday.
Dolphins had won the toss and opted to bat first when Ayabulela Gqamane’s first ball dismissed leading run-scorer, Grant Roelofsen, without any runs.
Keegan Petersen (63 off 51) and Jon-Jon Smuts (69 off 50) remained calm and combined for a century to set the Dolphins up for a competitive total. Petersen’s knock consisted of six boundaries and two maximums whilst Smuts blasted eight boundaries and one maximum.
A brilliant penultimate over from Dayyaan Galiem, which only conceded three runs saw the departure of Smuts. Jason Smith (21* off 7) and Andile Simelane (8*) played well in the end to see Dolphins on 162/3 in 20 overs.
With the target set on 163 runs, the Tshwane-men paced their chase well to reach the required score with two balls to spare.
The Dolphins were well within their defence when Daryn Dupavillon (2/34) dismissed openers, Dewald Brevis (2), and Jiveshen Pillay (18)within powerplay. Theunis de Bruyn (32 off 19) and Sibonelo Makhanya (13) were caught by Eathan Bosch going for maximum points. Neil Brand (18 off 19 ) was caught and bowled by Smuts and Titans slipped to 98/5 in 14 overs.
Donavon Ferreira (40 off 25) and Dayaan Galiem (32* off 22) played the crucial knocks which took Titans over the line. The pair combined for 63-runs in the final five overs to take the match to an exciting finish. Ferreira was run out in the final over with Titans needing three from three. On the next delivery, Galiem smashed a boundary to end the innings on 165/6 and Titans were crowned champions of the CSA T20 Challenge.
[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]
Cricket South Africa (CSA) shares in the disappointment of South Africans on the loss of the Proteas to the Netherlands at the Adelaide Oval, in Australia on Sunday, which eliminated them from the ICC T20 World Cup tournament. Chasing 159 to win, the Proteas fell to 145/8, a demise which means they will miss the semi-finals.
The Proteas started their T20 World Cup campaign on a solid footing, which boosted the Team’s confidence. However, despite the Proteas’ efforts on the pitch with the Netherlands, the latter went away with the stakes.
Speaking on the team’s early exit from the tournament, CSA Director of Cricket, Enoch Nkwe said:
“The reality is that the Team did not perform to expectations, which occasioned this disappointing outcome. It is our duty to regroup and rebuild based on our glaring shortcomings at the T20 World Cup.”
CSA Chief Executive Officer, Pholetsi Moseki added:
“The Proteas went to the ICC T20 World Cup with high hopes that they would make it to the final. CSA supported the team on their campaign and held high hopes that they will carry through. It is unfortunate that they did not make it as we had all hoped. However, it is incumbent to support them into the future.
“It is evidently hard for all of us to be faced with this disappointment. However, our focus should be rebuilding the team for future success. Lessons learnt from this experience will be inculcated into strategies to redeem from the weaknesses and build a formidable attack in future.”
[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]
Cricket South Africa (CSA) shares in the disappointment of South Africans on the loss of the Proteas to the Netherlands at the Adelaide Oval, in Australia on Sunday, which eliminated them from the ICC T20 World Cup tournament. Chasing 159 to win, the Proteas fell to 145/8, a demise which means they will miss the semi-finals.
The Proteas started their T20 World Cup campaign on a solid footing, which boosted the Team’s confidence. However, despite the Proteas’ efforts on the pitch with the Netherlands, the latter went away with the stakes.
Speaking on the team’s early exit from the tournament, CSA Director of Cricket, Enoch Nkwe said:
“The reality is that the Team did not perform to expectations, which occasioned this disappointing outcome. It is our duty to regroup and rebuild based on our glaring shortcomings at the T20 World Cup.”
CSA Chief Executive Officer, Pholetsi Moseki added:
“The Proteas went to the ICC T20 World Cup with high hopes that they would make it to the final. CSA supported the team on their campaign and held high hopes that they will carry through. It is unfortunate that they did not make it as we had all hoped. However, it is incumbent to support them into the future.
“It is evidently hard for all of us to be faced with this disappointment. However, our focus should be rebuilding the team for future success. Lessons learnt from this experience will be inculcated into strategies to redeem from the weaknesses and build a formidable attack in future.”
[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]
Marcell Coetzee has extended his commitment to the Vodacom Bulls until 2027.
The Springbok flanker initially joined the Vodacom Bulls (from Ulster) in June 2021 on a three-year deal, quickly becoming a vital member of the squad, making 33 appearances in all competitions. Coetzee’s impact since arriving at Loftus has been nothing short of impactful, helping lead the side to the finals of the then, debut season of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
A South African international, Marcell has 31 national caps to his name, having made his debut for the Boks in June 2012, against England.
Speaking on his decision to extend his loyalty to the Vodacom Bulls, Marcell said: “it was a no brainer, I really love playing for the Vodacom Bulls, I believe we are on a path towards something special and one wants to be part of a team that is destined to hit their heights pretty soon. The side has a lovely bunch of guys,”
Coetzee has said that he has no other intentions but to return to Pretoria post his six-month-long sabbatical in Japan.
“The weekend may have been my last match for the Vodacom Bulls, but I will return at the back end of April come 2023. I missed my country a lot during my five years at Ulster so I know I am coming back after this short journey,”
On what makes the Vodacom Bulls so special, Marcell commented: “It is an honour to play for this team, I am extremely happy with where I am with the Bulls, the staff and the team spirit we have built, that is where my heart is. Me and my wife have definitely found a home in Pretoria and we cannot wait to see how further the team develops and how I can help in driving and contributing to its success in the future.”
[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]
Dewald Brevis delivered a record-breaking performance in the Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Challenge on Monday.
The Momentum Multiply Titans were put to the bat first by the ITEC Knights in an encounter that broke the world record for the highest match aggregate in a T20 game.
Brevis blasted 162 off 57 balls to record the highest individual score in the CSA T20 Challenge. His knock was made up of 13 boundaries and 13 maximums as the Momentum Multiply ended their innings on 271/3.
He had the support of Jiveshen Pillay (52 off 45) and Donavon Ferreira (33 off 15). His opening partnership with Pillay provided 179 runs for the first wicket and 53 runs with Ferreira.
Dayyaan Galiem (7*) and Theunis de Bruyn (5*) only faced a few deliveries as the Titans recorded the highest team total in the competition.
The Knights took the challenge head-on in their response with Gihahn Cloete and Jacques Snyman, sharing a quick 72 runs. Snyman was caught by Brevis off Simon Harmer just after powerplay for 28. Cloete departed shortly after with 51 runs, caught by Neil Brand off Aaron Phangiso.
Titans continued to take wickets at regular intervals and Knights ended their innings on 230/9. Other major contributions tallying up the runs for Knights were Gerald Coetzee (37 off 11 with five maximums and one boundary), Migael Pretorius (29 off 14), Isaac Dikgale (28 off 13), and Patrick Kruger (22 off 13).
The teams scored 501 over the two innings, which is a world record aggregate for a T20 match.
[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]
SYDNEY: Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi believes the Proteas must play to their strengths when they take on Bangladesh in a crucial ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash at the SCG in Sydney on Thursday.
South Africa were cruelly denied victory by the weather in their opening match of the competition against Zimbabwe on Monday and they now have some catching up to do when they face-off against the Tigers, who beat the Netherlands in their championship opener.
It means that Mark Boucher’s side have little room for error, but paceman Ngidi insists they are not feeling any additional pressure.
“I think everyone’s under pressure in this tournament if you looking to win,” he told the media ahead of the game. “With that claim that we’ll be hungry to win that’s definitely true. We’d obviously have loved to win in the first game and we know now what pressure we have in terms of going forward in the tournament. To say we’re under more pressure, I would say it’s pretty equal if you looking to win the World Cup. May the best team win.”
The tournament has been a good one for the fast bowlers so far as Australia’s pitches have lived up to their reputation of pace and bounce.
Ngidi said: “I think at the moment we are just playing towards our strengths. From the games we’ve watched so far, we’ve seen that pace has probably been the most successful throughout the tournament, so we’re going to play towards our strengths.
“Against Bangladesh we obviously want to attack them using our strengths and that is the pace. Depending on how they handle that we’ll find out tomorrow but all in all we pretty much run with what we’re good at.”
The nature of the pitches have also led to more happier bowlers and Ngidi continued: “Definitely (I think T20 cricket is better when bowlers have a say in it). It makes things more competitive. We saw the India-Pakistan game, it got really tight and I think that’s what people want to see…not absolute blowouts of teams scoring 240 and then you pretty much struggle to try and get there. I think when the competition gets a lot closer it makes for better cricket.”
South Africa have a formidable record against Bangladesh in T20Is, winning all seven of their previous meetings. However, the Asian side stunned the Proteas by beating then in a One-Day International (ODI) series on home soil earlier this year.
“The last time we played Bangladesh their batsmen came out very aggressively against us,” Ngidi recalled. “So we’re cognisant of that fact. We’ll definitely be targeting their top order. We know they have (captain) Shakib (al-Hasan) to control the middle and if he’s there at the back end. I’m sure their batsmen. But as the bowling unit we’re definitely looking to cut the head of the snake which is probably take out their top order and try to restrict them to as low a total as possible.”
Rain is also predicted for the game in Sydney, but Ngidi says their focus is not on the forecast.
“To be honest you control what we can and the weather’s one thing we don’t have a say in,” he concluded. “We were eager to get out on the park in Hobart and I think everyone that was there did their bit in trying to get a game going, so appreciative in that sense, but at the end of the day we couldn’t control what happened with the rain.
“It does put us a bit under pressure with another forecast of rain tomorrow. I think we just got a bit of bad luck following to be honest but we’ve got no say in how the weather plays out. The only thing we can do is get here and we’ll be prepared to play.”
South Africa squad - ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022
Temba Bavuma (captain, DP World Lions), Quinton de Kock (Momentum Multiply Titans), Reeza Hendricks (DP World Lions), Marco Jansen (Gbets Warriors), Heinrich Klaasen (Momentum Multiply Titans), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Aiden Markram (Momentum Multiply Titans), David Miller (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Anrich Nortje (Gbets Warriors), Wayne Parnell (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Kagiso Rabada (DP World Lions), Rilee Rossouw (ITEC Knights), Tabraiz Shamsi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tristan Stubbs (Gbets Warriors).
South Africa Group Stage Itinerary
Monday, 24 October – 19:00 (10:00 SAST)
South Africa vs Zimbabwe ended in a no result – Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Thursday, 27 October – 14:00 (05:00 SAST)
South Africa vs Bangladesh – SCG, Sydney
Sunday, 30 October – 19:00 (13:00 SAST)
India vs South Africa – Perth Stadium, Perth
Thursday, 03 November – 19:00 (10:00 SAST)
Pakistan vs South Africa – SCG, Sydney
Sunday, 06 November – 10:30 (02:00 SAST)
South Africa vs Netherlands – Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]
The Vodacom Bulls have agreed to a deal to sign Wilco Louw from English side, Harlequins on a three-year deal beginning 1 July 2023.
The 28-year-old prop - who is no stranger to Pretoria - joins the Vodacom Bulls having established himself as one of the leading players in his position. Wilco’s career began in the Cape Winelands, then developed through the Bulls’ youth structures and mastered at the Stormers, where he made more than a century of appearances before moving to apply his trade in Europe. The Ceres native spent a short-term spell with French side, Toulon, before going on to earn 49* caps for his current club, Harlequins, for whom he scored a try in the final (against Exeter) to help the English club win the 2020/21 Premiership Rugby crown.
Louw’s rise to stardom began back in 2012, when he represented Boland at the Craven Week competition, putting in performances that would earn him a call-up into the South African Schoolboys squad, where he victoriously featured in clashes against England, Wales and France. Soon after, he went on to join the under-19 Bulls ensemble that would go on to win the 2014 under-19 Currie Cup. Earning him a call-up to the South African under-20 side, which would eventually lose the under-20 World Championship finals to England. Having graduated from the under-19’s, Wilco went on to win the under-20 Provincial championship before returning to the Cape, to join the Stormers and Western Province, going on to win the 2017 edition of the Currie Cup.
The (now) Springbok-capped front-row forward has earned himself 14 national caps to date, having made his debut against the All-Blacks back in October 2017.
Speaking of his move to Loftus, Wilco Louw said: “The Vodacom Bulls play an exciting brand of rugby and they have great coaches, I am excited for the new challenge ahead. I am looking forward to running out in the jersey once more and to having the opportunity in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship,”
“It is exciting to be going back to South Africa and to be reunited with the Vodacom Bulls, I had an unbelievable time at Harlequins with great memories and hopefully we can make some great memories in Pretoria too,”
“My rugby career started at the Bulls and I think it's every rugby player’s dream to win a few trophies in their career, so I am very keen to join the team and work with great players and coaches to make that dream our reality” concluded Louw.
Blue Bulls Rugby Union President, Willem Strauss added: “It is wonderful to have a top international tighthead joining us in the prime of his career! Wilco was part of our junior structures and his return will surely bolster our pack of forwards. We look forward to welcoming him home and know that he will help in contributing towards the continued growth of our franchise.”
Everyone at the Vodacom Bulls is eagerly awaiting Louw’s arrival to the Loftus family.
[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]
