Jamba Ulengo
The Bulls continued on their wave of signings as they have snapped up Blitzbok star Jamba Ulengo to join them alongside the likes of Bok Trevor Nyakane and loose forward Lappies Labuschagne next year.
Ulengo, who was a regular both in Paul Treu and Neil Powell’s Springbok Sevens sides, is a big fast skilful runner on the wing who loves to score tries and other than his exploits on the HSBC World Sevens Series has also played for Shimlas in the Varsity Cup and for the Toyota Cheetahs at Absa Currie Cup level.
The announcement of the trio – plus the loss of hooker Bongi Mbonambi to the Stormers – will be made in the next day or so by the Bulls after they have completed dotting all the I’s and crossing the T’s on the various contracts and may also include an announcement of Springbok hooker Adriaan Strauss as well.
Strauss has been given until Wednesday to make a decision on his future by the Bulls, who are looking to lure him to Loftus as well, but pressure from Bloemfontein, where he owns two businesses and a renewed big money offer from the Cheetahs has given him second thoughts.
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Ulengo meanwhile, is a quality acquisition and could find himself as the long term wing replacement for Akona Ndungane, who recently signed a one-year extension to his contract.
After setting fields alight from as far as Las Vegas to Tokyo, Ulengo has built up a wealth of international experience on the Sevens circuit and at 85kg and 1.85metres has the stature and size to make a success at Vodacom Super Rugby level.
Ulengo is a former 100m sprinter and his speed will be an asset to the Bulls if he can make the transition to the longer version of the game and take a big step up in intensity.
But it is clear that with the signings of Nyakane and Labuschagne, the Bulls are intent on making their voices heard in next year’s Super Rugby tournament after a string of players have left either for Europe or Japan.
Strauss’ decision is key, as he is a possible captaincy candidate for the Bulls but it is clear that all sorts of resources are being pulled to keep him in Bloemfontein.
Nyakane played for the Limpopo Blue Bulls at Craven Week and has played four tests and scored one international try in his Springbok career while Lappies – or Pieter as he was christened – was born in Pretoria but came through the ranks in Bloemfontein for the Cheetahs, and was part of the Springbok squad and training camp in 2013, but never had the opportunity to make his test debut.