7 October 2026
10bet Lions loosehead prop Boan Venter has said this Saturday’s Jukskei derby against the Vodacom Bulls carries a deeply personal edge. The former Edinburgh front-rower is preparing for his maiden local derby since joining the Johannesburg-based franchise ahead of the 2026/27 United Rugby Championship (URC) season at 13:30 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
Venter noted that local familiarity alters the emotional stakes when squaring off against a neighbouring rival. Having shared camps and fields with many players in the opposition squad, the looming battle at Loftus extends beyond standard tournament points.
“It’s definitely a bit more personal,” Venter stated. “We know all of the guys personally on that side of the Jukskei. We know everyone by name, and some of them we’re good mates with. It’s a completely different challenge.”
The Pretoria outfit arrives with an established reputation for unyielding set-piece dominance and bruising collisions. To counter this, the Lions pack must anchor their scrum early and match the hosts' direct approach from the opening whistle.
“The Bulls' set-piece is going strong as always,” said Venter. “They are physical, and that’s what they’ve been known for for the last few years. We know what’s coming; we just need to match fire with fire and see who comes out on top.”
Venter aims to channel his recent experience from the Springbok alignment camps to fortify the Lions' front-row resources. He highlights tight-five execution as the non-negotiable platform required to unlock the rest of their game plan.
“The experience at the Boks is just a different class,” he explained. “The guys you get to scrum against in the Springbok camp, I think that in itself gives you a lot of experience and teaches you a lot of lessons. It’s nice to be able to bring that back here, and work with the younger guys and keep learning so we can move forward.”
“The set-piece plays a massive role, as you saw in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. If you get that done right, the rest just falls into place much easier.”
The high-flying Lions enter Round 3 full of momentum following consecutive home victories over northern hemisphere heavyweights Leinster and Ospreys. Conversely, the Bulls will look to rebound immediately in front of their home crowd after suffering a narrow 26–22 defeat against Munster in Limerick.
