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
@ bdb @58:
Miskien moet die Bulle ondersteuners eerder konsentreer om die Luiperds te probeer wen, en minder worrie oor die Sharks se doen en late.
Dit pas julle mos dat ons so droogmaak, so hou op kerm daaroor.
Hierdie high en mighty houding van julle ondersteuners is om van naar te word. (Joost, P3 en kie)
60: my maggies, wat vertel jy my nou ?
Verskil is seker net: die Bulle onderhandel met spelers, en koop hul dan. Sharks koop hulle eers (sommige noem dit steel) en wil dan onderhandel met ‘vroom gesiggies’.
61: sien julle raak al klaar senuweeagtig omdat dit lyk asof die Bulle die semi’s gaan haal, want dit gee nie om hoe ver bo op die log jy eindig nie, in die semi’s kan enige iets gebeur. Maar, bedaar ou Snoekvis, julle is nie so sleg as wat die res van die land sê nie. 😀
@ bdb @ 62:
Ja, daai Rudolph het sy PTA maniere see toe gebring. Sal like om hom terug na sy tuisdorp te pos.
@ bdb @64:
Natuurlik staan enige span ‘n kans in die semis, en die bulle is die beste in SA op die oomblik. So sal nie ‘n semi teen hulle wil speel nie. Dit is maar net kommin sense.
Maar daai bleddie tweede span van ons pla my meer as dit by semis kom.
65: met al die bokke wat terugkom, is die Sharks, WP en Bulle die gunstelinge, maar soos jy sê, Ctahs weet hoe om semi’s te wen. Selfs die Leeus het ‘n buitekans, maar ek dink die diepte en ervaring is te min daar op die huidige stadium.
Kyk, dit is een ding as jong spelers op jou afgehardloop kom wat in jou portuur is, maar die dag as Bakkies, Burger, Danie R, Spies, Bismark, Juan Smith, ens. op jou af hardloop, is dit bietjie ‘n perd (of perre) van ‘n ander kleur. CB begin eintlik eers oor 3 weke …
Great news !!!
Twee honde baklei oor n been….die derde vat hom en hardloop daarmee heen 🙂
great signing by bulls. basson will become a legend at loftus, and will carry on the great form and try scoring of the bulls wings in the last season or three.
This is such a great signing, now just get us a proper outside centre.
70: Wie ?
@ bdb:
Dit my liewe vriend is ‘n baie goeie vraag…
72: ek sal gaan vir Walter Venter, wil saterdag bietjie kyk hoe speel hy teen die Bulle. Bulle kan ook oorweeg om FH op buite-senter te speel, met Basson en Shadow as vleuels.
Manne gee die Stefans kans in n vol Bul span ek sien daar is potensiaal. Ons weet tog n speler kan so maklik afgeskryf word in n swak opset.
74: ook weer waar, ek het gehoor hy het buitesenter gespeel op skool.
@ bdb:
Ek hoor jou ja, Walter was die volgende beste ding sedert “sliced bread” by die Leeus op ‘n stadium… nou hang hy by die Luiperds rond.
Kan goed wees om hom dop te hou die naweek.
Ek dink FH sal goed doen op 13 maar ek hou nie van die idee om hom weg te skuif vanaf 9 net omdat ons iemand kort op 13 nie.
Ek glo hy gaan nog diep spore daar trap…
Stefan Watermeyer het baie rugby in hom, hou hom maar dop.
76/77: hou ook nie daarvan om spelers uit posisie te speel nie, maar FH is ‘n ‘game breaker’ waarvoor jy plek moet maak. Maar, aan die ander kant, met al die wedstryde in S15, is dit dalk goed dat hy en FDP mekaar afwissel op skrummie.
Stefan is sterk, sal net aan sy hantering moet werk, het 3 keer aangeslaan op aanval.
@ bdb:
Wie dink jy gaan die Bulle op losskakel nader trek ?
@ Blouste:
Jis ons moet net nooit ooit van FH n Brent Russel of Ruan maak nie, dit sal my erg grief.
Ons moet Burton terugkry van die Leeus
@ superBul:
Nee man, kry net nie vat plek aan hom nie…
79: Derick Hougaard, anders Baas Notha !
80: verskil is net, iemand soos FH maak ‘n sukses van elke posisie waarin hy speel, Russel, FS, Ruan het dit nie reggekry nie.
Tot wanneer het Derick kontrak by Saracens ?
Manne, dankie vir die gesels.
Ek gaan nou eers my weeklikse “common” sepie kyk 😉
84: nie ‘n idee nie, maar is hy nie al 2 jaar daar nie ?
Ek dink nog steeds Derick is destyds nie genoeg kans gegun in die Bok set-up nie.
Party spelers moet ‘n ordentlike kans kry en hul selfvertroue moet geboost word.
Ek voel die teenoorgestelde het met Derick gebeur.
Heyneke het al by verskeie geleenthede gese hy dink Hougaard is een van die beste losskkels internasionaal, en as hy so iets kwytraak kan mens maar notisie neem…
@ bdb:
Hy was mos by Leinchster en toe van daar na Saracens…
Cheers manne.
Lekker aand.
89: Lekker slaap, droom solank van die CB.
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