Jan Serfontein returned to Loftus Versfeld and his own assessment of his new Vodacom Bulls team reveals a lot about where the Pretoria outfit’s focus has been in the build-up to the fifth edition of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
The former Springboks centre made his second debut for the Vodacom Bulls at the weekend as they overcame a spirited Ospreys side. The powerful centre, who signed from Montpellier ahead of the new season, slotted straight back into the midfield and even got himself on the scoresheet with an excellent try.
“There is so much depth in this team. We have two or three players in every position who, on any weekend, could pull on the jersey and do the job. It’s very healthy competition in the team. It’s exciting because it’s an indication of what this team is capable of,” says Serfontein.
Squad depth has long been the buzzword for modern rugby teams as they seek to juggle the challenge of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and then, hopefully, the parallel chase for glory in the Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup.
To meet this demand, the 32-year-old Serfontein is one of several new faces in the Vodacom Bulls squad for this campaign, having made his way back from French giants Montpellier. But he’s far from a new face at Loftus Versfeld.
“It’s great to be back in Pretoria and back at Loftus. I spent six years here when I was straight out of school, so I have very good memories from here,” says the burly centre.
It’s an exciting new chapter for Serfontein, who is looking forward to making his mark in a new competition for him.
In his first stint with the Vodacom Bulls, Serfontein experienced Super Rugby and was a member of the team that lost a Super Rugby semi-final against the Brumbies in 2013. Then he made the move to France for a new experience in the Top 14, where he won the league title with Montpellier in 2022 as well as the EPCR Challenge Cup in 2021.
And now he’s preparing for an entirely new rugby challenge in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
“I loved the time in France, but I was always going to come back to play in South Africa. In terms of the styles of rugby, the Top 14 is a tough competition, and it’s highly competitive. It’s very physical. So I’m really looking forward to the Vodacom United Rugby Championship as a new competition and a new challenge for me. I’ve still got a few good years left in me and believe I can add a lot of value. This Vodacom Bulls team has come so close to winning this title, and it would be great to be a part of that when it happens. I definitely believe we have the team to do it.”
Serfontein’s pre-season experience has confirmed his belief in this team.
“We’ve trained hard, and I think the whole team is excited for the season to kick off. We feel we’re ready. Coach Johan Ackermann has created a great environment for us to perform. He’s got a very clear vision of where he wants to take this team and how to get there. There is a healthy, high-performance culture here.”