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Bulls let slip they've signed Marcell Coetzee
The Bulls may just have let the cat out the bag with their latest transfer teaser.
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In a social media post, the Bulls said they will make a ‘BIG’ announcement on Monday, December 28.
The franchise teased the new arrival on Twitter, describing him as the “biggest festive gift” for the fan base.
However, social media posters were quick to point out who the new signing is.
It appears Springbok veteran Marcell Coetzee may be the man heading from Belfast in Ireland to Pretoria in South Africa.
While some readers bemoaned the fact that the 29-year-old Coetzee is turning his back on the Irish province, after the loyalty they showed him when he struggled with injuries, others expressed their delight with the impressive new loose trio the Bulls will field.
They could have World Cup-winning Bok Duane Vermeulen at No.8, Coetzee at No.7, a third Bok in Marco van Staden at No.6 – with two more Boks in Arno Botha and Nizaam Carr as back up.
Coetzee had put pen to paper on a three-year contract extension with Ulster in 2019, keeping him at Kingspan Stadium until at least the summer of 2022. It appears he somehow managed to exit the contract a year early.
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#BullsFamily24 we have the biggest festive gift for you …EVER! So big .. So cool… We still trying to package it ? Check out our social platforms on Monday at 10h00 ? Our BIGGEST signing for the year… literally ? pic.twitter.com/ZySFjWoVGt
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) December 25, 2020
It’s a major body blow for Ulster, where Coetzee had become a talisman for the team over the last two seasons in particular.
“It was a really tough mental and physical battle for me with the injuries, but I’m grateful for the support I had during that time and I’m determined to repay the faith shown in me,” Coetzee said in 2019. “I can’t wait to see what the next three years holds for me and my wife personally, and for the club.”