After spending some time with the Springboks, Johan Grobbelaar is itching to get onto the field and continue where he left off at the Vodacom Bulls.
The Tshwane-based side continues their Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign when they take on the Cell C Sharks in a South African derby at Jonsson Kings Park on Friday night.
Grobbelaar is yet to get a taste of the Vodacom URC after last turning out for the Vodacom Bulls in the successful Carling Currie Cup campaign before he received a call up to join the Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship in Australia.
“It was a great opportunity to be part of the Springboks setup. I was very surprised and excited to get the call up. It was great to see how the system works. But now I’m just looking forward to playing for the Vodacom Bulls and getting some game time,” the 23-year-old hooker said.
Grobbelaar will be vying for a spot in the Vodacom Bulls team that will face the Cell C Sharks on Friday night. He acknowledges the healthy competition within the squad and is aware that he needs to earn his place among equally talented hookers which include Bismarck du Plessis, Schalk Erasmus, Sidney Tobias and Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Once the explosive hooker has bagged a few Vodacom URC caps, he will hope that he continues to impress with his performances and ultimately make a return to the national setup and in the process earn some test experience.
“The next step comes with time. For now, one just needs to do what they need to do every week – play good rugby,” said the level-headed Grobbelaar.
“There are a lot of good hookers at the moment. My focus now is to continue playing and doing well for the Vodacom Bulls, then any other opportunity can follow. Just to get some game time and be on the field is very important for now. If I can play consistently week in, week out my chance will come.”
The Vodacom Bulls match against the Cell C Sharks will kick off at 19h00 on Friday.