30 October 2026
Vodacom Bulls captain Hanro Liebenberg believes the United Rugby Championship (URC) is rapidly catching up to the competitive standard of England’s Gallagher Premiership.
After a seven-year stint with the Leicester Tigers, the loose forward is well placed to run a rule over the standard of both competitions. He takes the captaincy this weekend as the Pretoria franchise looks to consolidate its position near the summit of the log with a win against the Scarlets at 17:00 SAST in Pretoria.
“I think it’s very similar,” said Liebenberg. “I’ve only played a few games in the URC so far. The Premiership is very competitive, and it’s become more so over the last few seasons, and I think the URC is getting there. The smaller teams are getting a lot more competitive, and that’s pushing the other teams too. Give it one or two more years, and those small teams might not be the small teams anymore. They’ll push for the top spots as well.”
Liebenberg is enjoying the captaincy, alternating with Marcell Coetzee, noting that the quality and depth of the Bulls squad helps a great deal. Head coach Johan Ackermann has reshuffled the matchday 23, leveraging the roster's extensive Springbok experience to manage the attritional demands of the dual-tournament calendar.
“I’m very confident. We have a really good squad and the luxury of rotating players,” Liebenberg stated. “That’s not saying the others aren’t as good. The next guy who comes in steps straight into the other guy’s boots and has to do the job.”
The 31-year-old says that no matter the changes, his job remains constant. Armed with an elite supporting cast, his focus centres on work rate and on-field execution.
“To play the best rugby I can. You still have players like Willie le Roux and Curwin Bosch, you’ve got Marcell on the bench, and you have Springboks in the team, so very experienced players around me. I don’t think anything changes for me. I’ll speak when it’s needed, but mostly I just have to lead by example. Our discipline was a problem last week, and we spoke about it going into this week, so hopefully we can fix that, and I won’t have to say much. We’ve all played rugby long enough to know it’s not acceptable to give away easy penalties.”
Driving better breakdown efficiency remains the primary objective following a messy performance against Ulster. Securing clean front-foot ball at the ruck will be critical to unlocking the incoming Welsh outfit.
“If our decision-making around the breakdown is better, we’ll be in a better place,” Liebenberg added. “We’re all adults and have to make our own decisions. I’ll step in when needed, but as long as the intent and mindset are right, you can deal with those penalties.”