The Vodacom Blue Bulls have made a massive coup by signing Griquas and Springbok winger Bjorn Basson to join them from November 1.
While the Bulls had been after another Springbok winger, a secret trip to Kimberley on Monday by Blue Bulls High Performance manager Ian Schwartz was enough to convince both Basson, Griquas and the Cheetahs to release the winger a year early on his contract to make the move to the Vodacom Super 14 and Absa Currie Cup champions.
Schwartz wasn’t available for comment yesterday, but SuperSport.com can reveal that the Blue Bulls did pay a transfer fee to get Basson released from his contract after months of negotiations.
These were somewhat tricky as the Cheetahs paid a portion of Basson’s salary and therefore had a say in whether he could be moved or not.
Griquas CEO Arni van Rooyen confirmed that the deal had been finalised and that Basson had signed his new contract with the Bulls on Monday afternoon.
“Bjorn has signed his contract and is a Blue Bulls as from 1 November,” Van Rooyen told .
“Bjorn is a very good player and the Bulls were very professional in the manner that they approached us to negotiate with him. We don’t want to lose him but rugby is a business and the decision was the best for all parties concerned. He is one of the best finishers in the country.”
Van Rooyen did confirm that a transfer fee was paid, but declined to say what the amount was.
The Blue Bulls were also looking at signing Springbok winger JP Pietersen, but it is understood that his price was three times as much as Basson and therefore they decided on the younger winger rather than Pietersen’s experience.
There was also talk earlier in the season that they were interested in rogue winger Lionel Mapoe. The Bulls approached the Cheetahs at the time with a request to negotiate for Mapoe, which was denied. They subsequently stopped pursuing Mapoe because it would be outside the SARU regulations to negotiate with him after the request was denied.
Mapoe requested a release from his contract to join the Sharks, who have apparently been paying him since he left Bloemfontein and even though he lost an arbitration case on the matter, has refused to return to Bloemfontein as he was instructed to do.
Basson will now at least give a bit of speed back to the Bulls backs, which have been lacking in this department since the departure of Bryan Habana to Cape Town at the end of last year. In the Currie Cup they have played veteran utility back Jaco van der Westhuyzen on the wing, ignoring seasoned finisher John Mametsa with mixed success.
Their Currie Cup plans also took a hammer blow earlier when Bok winger Akona Ndungane broke his leg for a second time shortly after returning to the rugby field after recovering from the first break.
Ndungane’s contract runs out at the end of the year and it will be interesting to see if the Blue Bulls do renew it after he has played so little for them over the past few seasons.
Supersport
Congrats Bulls. Great, great signing. Saw this very early this morning on News24.
So you see a transfer fee can be negotiated. Hope Cheetahs take note. 😉
Come on man, buy JP Pietersen as well. I know at least one person who will be very , very angry of you do. Puma are you out there?
@ biltongbek:2 – Bek, bugger off…hehehe. JPP staying put by the sea 😀
@ biltongbek:3 – See you saying Cheetahs need money. Well for starters they can accept a transfer fee from the Sharks for Mapoe. That would be a small help for now to their money problems. 😀
@ Puma:
“Mapoe requested a release from his contract to join the Sharks, who have apparently been paying him since he left Bloemfontein”
By paying him all the time , you think it is right? It teaches this young player the wrong approach in life. That does not sound lekker for me.
@ Puma:
but how do they sustain it, boet.
Perhaps the trick for them would be to open a high performance center, and sell of the stock they manufature there?
JP Pietersen will look GOOD in BLUE
@ biltongbek:
6
Does Grey College not qualify as a High Performance center?
7@ superBul:
Ja, maar wat doen die laaities as hulle klaar maak met skool. Daar moet n’ rugby college in bloem wees.
Dink so daar aan, ons verkoop stoet bulle vir groot geld. Hoekom nie die Cheetahs met rugby spelers nie?
Blouste hoe lyk die agterlyn nou
15. Shadow/Zane
14. Bjorn Basson
13. Watermyer/Pretoruis
12. WO
11. Francios Hougaart
10. Morne
09. FDP
@ superBul:
You guys must put Jaco Pretorius out to pasture, not a great buy, not. “whose on firs base, he on seond base, Not a good buy”
@ biltongbek:
Geen probleem daarmee nie. Net jammer Vrystaat kan nie so n span bou nie. Maar laat hulle maar ons seuns leer. Baie spelers op Grey word gewerf op die Craven weke.
@ biltongbek:
Almost every coach has his favorite , he is FL’s , aagh he is not the worst. He reminds me sometimes of Pedrie, always there and wont let you down in big games.
9: Gaan interessant wees om te sien wat Ludeke hulle nou met FH gaan doen: op die bank, of vleuel of buitesenter ?
Dink ook die Bulle moet vir Shadow op heelagter oorweeg waar hy op skool gespeel en ook die span se skopper was. Zane bied ongelukkig nie veel op die aanval deesdae nie, en met Shadow se spoed kan hy dalk meer effektief wees met teenaanvalle.
hak hak
ammal behalwe wp
is kak!!
14: gedoriewaar Adoons, lewe jy nog ? More !
@ biltongbek:6 – Just read that Province and Lions are after JPP. Now just lay off our Bok wing..hehehe. Hope Sharks can keep JPP.
@ superBul:5 – Super, For the players sake this madness has to stop. Let Mapoe play for the Sharks. He DOES not want to play for the Cheetahs. Sharks have been wanting to pay a transfer fee for a long time now, but Cheetahs just been stubborn now. You can’t drag a horse to the water so to speak. If he does not come right with the Sharks heard that Aussie League too are interested in getting Mapoe. So I for one hope Sharks win this one and we can keep Mapoe here in SA playing rugby union. Not losing him to overseas.
Basson was released from his contract now why can’t Mapoe be too? He was given a pittance of a contract with Cheetahs. From getting R13 000 a month at Cheetahs to about R100 000 at the Sharks do you really think he wants to go back to the Cheetahs? They can’t afford him boet. Why keep on dragging it on. He don’t want to go back there. Let the youngster play. Or we will lose him to overseas.
bdb @ 15
jip oom kaspaas
eks nog inni land vanni lewendes!! 😆
@ Ashley:
Maskien is die WP retig K@K, ek se nie, ek vra maar net. Het jy al ooit gewonder oor daai curre beker trui?
Lyk soos n’ klomp ouens wat pas gekry het uit die tronk en moet almal weer na die game terug gaan selle toe.
16@ Puma:
Come on man, you can give the Lions at least one player. How about Bismarck?
biltong @ 18
nee, daais mooi trye daai
..
baaaaaaaaaaaaaie mooier as daai kotsblou wat ñ sekere ander span dra!! 😀
@ Puma:
16
giving a guy 100 000 rand a month for Rugby hell i must work months for that, you are spoiling the guys there in Natal.
Let him go to Aussie land, he is not good news for you guys too. The precedent your Union created with him is going to bite you guys in the back , just watch it.
If all the other promising wings there start with their bullying tactics that place will blow up. Why do you think JPP did not already renew his contract like so many Bulls players did lately?
@ biltongbek:19 – They can have. Odwa..hehe.
Actually Odwa played really well on Saturday. They got Waylon.
Bissie wont leave Sharks.
Hoor John Smit is uit vir die res van die jaar, gaan nie CB speel hierdie jaar nie. Nou kan hy goed rus. Moet sê die Sharks voorry het die Ctahs voorry laat swaarkry, en dit sonder hul bokke.
@ Ashley:
Ek weet darem nie so mooi nie, die blou in die WP trui is nie ver van daai kotsblou op die Bulle trui nie, hulle het maar net die wit streep in gelos sodat die tronkvoels nie hoef te “dress” as hulle uitgaan na n’ game toe nie.
Ek dink WP rugby spelers is in hulle “bulls training kit”
@ bdb:
Weet jy watter voorry ek baie garrag in n’ bok trui sal wil sien?
1. Coenie Oosthuizen
2. Bismarck
3. Werner Kruger
@ superBul:21 – Super, We want Mapoe in Durbs. He wants to be here. I hope he can stay.
Really????? You would rather we lost a talent like that to Aussie? Crazy thinking that from you bru. NO WAY must we lose Mapoe to overseas.
We will know this Thursday as it is going to the high court I heard. Shame for this youngster. But Cheetahs can just let Basson go??????????????? Double standards 😉
Mooi nou het ons vir Born Borg, moet nou net vir John McEnroe kry, dan wen ons die Grand Slam !
Mapoe kan maar oorsee gaan speel, ons het goeie jong vleuels wat nou deur kom: Basson, Mvovo, Ludik, Shadow, Ashley, ens.
@ bdb:28 – bdb, you would not be saying that if he was going to play for the Bulls now would you???? 😉
WE must keep our young talent here. Have you forgotten how good Mapoe can play? I have not and hope the Sharks do everything they can to sign him on proper after Thursday and get him playing soon.
Puma wrote:
No ways do i want him in the Bulls camp. He might be just as disruptive as Luke Watson. No ways will he fit in.
If Oom Buurman van Zyl was still alive and he came to us he would have spend a week running the Police Colledge koppies. Just to get some discipline in him.
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