Jono Ross

Blue Bulls loose forward Jono Ross is embracing life on and off the field.

While the Blue Bulls have struggled for consistency in the Currie Cup in recent seasons, they have developed some impressive talent during this time. One notable player is Jono Ross, who has made major strides through the ranks at the union.

Originally from Johannesburg, where he attended St Stithians and played age-group rugby for the Golden Lions, Ross made the switch to the Bulls in 2010. He’s played senior rugby in the Vodacom Cup since 2011, before making his Super Rugby and Currie Cup debuts in 2013.

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“Life’s going well in Pretoria,” Ross told the MyPlayers website. “It’s not as busy as Johannesburg as it’s much more relaxed in Bulls country.

I enjoy playing golf and I recently bought a puppy, which gets plenty of my attention! I’m also studying BCom Marketing as it’s important to prepare for life after rugby.

“I managed to settle in quite nicely when I first arrived,” Ross continued. “There’s a great family environment, which makes things easier.

Guys like Victor Matfield, Morne Steyn, Jacques Potgieter, Werner Kruger and Dewald Potgieter were the seniors who helped me as the new guy in the squad. Their advice helped me find my feet among the seniors.”

Ross quickly formed part of the leadership in the Bulls squad as he was named captain of last year’s Currie Cup campaign. He said the opportunity has helped him mature as a player.

“I was thrown into the deep end when I was named captain, but I really enjoyed the experience,” said Ross. “I learned to accept criticism a lot better, and the captaincy also inspired me to develop a stronger work ethic.”

The Blue Bulls struggled during the start of the current Currie Cup campaign, but have played their way back into playoff contention with back-to-back wins over the Golden Lions and EP Kings.

Ross credited a collective effort, but added that there is still a long road ahead of them in the domestic competition.

“The tight five has done a lot of hard work and this has paid, especially at the scrums,” said Ross. “Grant Hattingh has played a leading role at the lineouts and deserved his man-of-the-match award after our win against the Kings. With an improvement at our set-pieces, the forwards have really done well by setting the momentum up front.

“The backs have also come to the party by playing some exciting attacking rugby. We are using our opportunities much better in recent weeks.

“However, there’s still so much to do as we aim to win the Currie Cup title. We need to continue our good form if we want to qualify for the playoffs. We face a difficult fixture this weekend as we host the Sharks.

They come off two defeats and a draw, so they’ll be burning to return to winning ways against us. The Sharks pose a great challenge in Pretoria this weekend, especially at the gainline battle.”