21 October 2026
The Vodacom Bulls have tied down one of their brightest young forwards. Lock Reinhardt Ludwig, 24, has signed a contract extension that keeps him at Loftus Versfeld until 2030.
The new deal is a ringing endorsement of Ludwig’s ability and his leadership. He has been a leader for as long as he has been in the game.
Ludwig was head boy of Afrikaanse Seuns Hoërskool and captained the school’s 1st XV. He took that standing from the school grounds into the professional game.
Ludwig, who weighs a meaty 111kg and stands at 1,99m, has only ever played his rugby in Pretoria. He made his Vodacom Bulls debut in 2021 and has been part of the franchise’s pathway ever since. He added national honours in 2021 and 2022, when he played for the SA U20 side.
He was thrilled with the extension: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Vodacom Bulls for the opportunity to extend. It means a lot that the coaches and the management have shown their trust and belief in me.
“I’m really excited; they’ve built an unbelievable squad and it’s such a privilege to be a part of that and I’m fully committed to giving my absolute best, working hard and doing everything I can to contribute to the success of this team to take the Vodacom Bulls to another level in the next couple of seasons.”
He is highly regarded in the capital for his athleticism and talent. He is now considered one of the Vodacom Bulls’ best emerging players and is pushing for a regular place in the starting XV.
Blue Bulls Company CEO Edgar Rathbone said: “Reinhardt is exactly the kind of player we want to build this team around. He has come through our system, he leads by example, and he has the athleticism and talent to become a mainstay in our starting side. Securing him until 2030 shows how much we believe in him and in the future of this squad.”
With his future settled for the next four seasons, the focus shifts to the jersey. The Vodacom Bulls are well stocked in the engine room, so a place in the starting XV will not come easily. But Ludwig’s pedigree suggests he will not wait to be handed one.
