The Blue Bulls, known for sponsorship reasons as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup competition. In the past, the side has also been known as Northern Transvaal and the Mobil Blue Bulls.
Read on to discover even more about the Blue Bulls. On this page you’ll find a detailed history of the side and a breakdown of their current squad. On top of this, you’ll also be able to look at the team’s latest results and upcoming fixtures.
Making 14 changes obviously didn’t work for the Springboks and personally, I think Jacques Nienaber missed a trick.
There's a rather ironic twist to the named Strong Carling Champions Team, a fan voted composite side who will take on Italy A on Saturday at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The Blue Bulls, known for sponsorship reasons as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup competition. In the past, the side has also been known as Northern Transvaal and the Mobil Blue Bulls.
Read on to discover even more about the Blue Bulls. On this page you’ll find a detailed history of the side and a breakdown of their current squad. On top of this, you’ll also be able to look at the team’s latest results and upcoming fixtures.
Currie Cup Currie Cup 
Currie Cup | Round 12 | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | PD | BP T | BP -7 | BP | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
-  Blue Bulls | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 393 | 271 | 122 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 45 |
-  Cheetahs | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 340 | 216 | 124 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 41 |
-  Pumas | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 261 | 220 | 41 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 22 |
-  Griquas | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 295 | 260 | 35 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 22 |
-  Sharks XV | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 202 | 218 | -16 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 22 |
-  Western Province | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 225 | 317 | -92 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 13 |
-  Golden Lions | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 240 | 454 | -214 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
| Round 12 |
|---|
| - Blue Bulls |
| - Cheetahs |
| - Pumas |
| - Griquas |
| - Sharks XV |
| - Western Province |
| - Golden Lions |
The history of the Blue Bulls can be traced all the way back to 1938 when the Northern Transvaal Rugby Union broke away from the Transvaal Rugby Football Union and gained status as an independent rugby union. At this time, the Northern Transvaal rugby team was formed, and the side captured the Currie Cup in 1946.
Although the team only officially became known as the Blue Bulls at the end of the 1997 season, the team has been known informally by the name since the 1940s. Since the side’s first Currie Cup triumph in 1946, the Blue Bulls have captured the title a further 24 times. They’ve also finished as the competition’s runners-up on nine occasions. Their last triumph came in the 2021 season.
Today, the side plays its home matches at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, where more than 50,000 spectators regularly turn up to watch the side. This is particularly the case when the Blue Bulls battle Western Province, their biggest rivals.
Arno Botha Number 8 
Bismarck Du Plessis Hooker 
Cameron Hanekom Openside flanker 
Cyle Brink Flanker 7 
Dylan Smith Prop 
Elrigh Louw Lock 
Eric Basson Blindside flanker 
Francois Klopper Tight head prop 
Gigauri Davit Lock 4 
Jaco Labuschagne Openside flanker 
Jacques Van Rooyen Prop 
Johan Grobbelaar Hooker 
Kowie Roos Tight head prop 
Lizo Gqoboka Prop 
Marcell Coetzee Flanker 6 
Reinhardt Ludwig Lock 4 
Ruan Nortje Lock 
Ruan Vermaak Lock 
Simphiwe Matanzima Prop 
Sintu Manjezi Lock 
WJ Steenkamp Blindside Flanker 
Walt Steenkamp Lock 
Werner Gouws Blindside Flanker 
Robert Hunt Fullback 
Bernard Van Der Linde Scrum Half 
Canan Moodie Right wing 
Chris Smith 
Cornal Hendricks Right Wing 
David Kriel 
Diego Appollis Centre 13 
Embrose Papier Scrum half 
FC Du Plessis Fullback 
Gerhard Steenekamp 
Harold Vorster Centre 
Izak Burger 
Jakobus Roos Fullback 
James Verity-Amm 
Jan-Hendrik Wessels 
Janko Swanepoel Fullback 
Joe Van Zyl 
Juan Mostert Fullback 
Kabelo Mokoena Fullback 
Keagan Johannes Fullback 
Kurt-Lee Arendse 
Lionel Mapoe Centre 
Marco Jansen Van Vuuren Scrum half 
Mheli Dlamini Fullback 
Michael Tambwe Wing 
Mornay Smith 
Morne Steyn Fly Half 
Muller Uys 
Niel Beukes Fullback 
Quewin Nortje Left wing 
Raynard Roets Fullback 
Richard Kriel 
Ruan Delport Fullback 
Schalk Erasmus 
Sean Cox Centre 
Sebastian Lombard Fullback 
Sidney Tobias Fullback 
Stedman Gans 
Stephan Smit Fullback 
Stravino Jacobs 
TBC Fullback 
Tarquin Manuel Fullback 
Tiaan Fourie Fullback 
Tielman Nieuwoudt Fullback 
Willie Potgieter Fullback Throughout the years, Northern Transvaal and the Blue Bulls have produced and nurtured some of the finest players to ever wear a Springboks shirt, including Hannes Brewis, Frik du Preez, Naas Botha and Johan Heunis.
Today’s Blue Bulls squad is incredibly strong. As a result, it includes several current and former Springboks stars, including Bismarck du Plessis and Morné Steyn. On top of this, it also includes Cornal Hendricks, Lionel Mapoe and Embrose Papier, who have all been capped at the international level.
Blue Bulls 
