The Vodacom Bulls 2025 Junior intake has been confirmed with a squad comprising 50 under-19 and 53 under-23 players who will participate across the SA Rugby junior competitions that the franchise is enlisted in.
Vodacom Bulls director of rugby, Jake White says the junior system is critical in creating a sustainable pipeline to the senior men’s setup.
“Our junior programme has been instrumental to not only our ecosystem but to South African rugby as well. That is not to toot our own horn but we have seen a good number of our talent be selected for national teams and that is important as we try to recruit the best young talent in the country. They must all see that life at Loftus can lead you to national colours if you put in the hard work,”
“We welcome our new recruits. We are thrilled that they have chosen this historic club as their home to grow in rugby, I wish them all of the very best in their promising careers. The Vodacom Bulls is a great home for talent and a testament to that is the long-storied history of stars who are homegrown and have gone on to be a great success for both club and country.”
Since the return to normal programming post the Covid hiatus, the franchise boasts a 40-50% success rate across all junior titles. The accolades include three back-to-back under-19 Cup crowns, the 2022 edition of the under-20 Cup and uner-21 Cup.
The head of junior rugby, Wessel du Plessis, says it is an exciting time for the junior programme as they prepare for the imminent competitions, and they only have one mission in mind when it comes to them.
“We are excited to be welcoming some new faces within our junior ranks and, of course, also happy to see some of the faces of youngsters who have done extremely well for our club in the past, returning. This is the beginning of another exciting year for our juniors, and we have set ourselves major goals,”
“We are a club that is inspired by excellence, and this group can learn a lot from the icons they share a club with in the senior ranks. We see great potential in them, and we hope they will make good use of the opportunities before them.”
2025 Vodacom Bulls Under-19 squad: 1. Aiden Holtzhausen, 2. Aiden King, 3. Aka Boqwana, 4. Alro le Roux, 5. Anele Cele, 6. Aphiwe Shelembe, 7. Ashwin Swarts, 8. Bongani Dlamini, 9. Brooklyn Newman, 10. Cheswill Jooste, 11. Dian Smal, 12. Divan Nel, 13. Duwan Potgieter, 14. Ely Williams, 15. Esethu Mnebelele, 16. Ethan van Dyk, 17. Handre Maree, 18. Heinrich Theron, 19. Hendre Schoeman, 20. Jacques Swarts, 21. Jade Muller, 22. Jon Hobson, 23. JP Lombaard, 24. Julian Cosmo, 25. Kebotile Maake, 26. Kurt Coetzee, 27. Lavela Mpongolo, 28. Likona Sodlaka, 29. Lindsay Jansen, 30. Luhan Swart, 31. Matt Fick, 32. Melt Viljoen, 33. Meyer Opperman, 34. Michael Satade, 35. Miegael De Lange, 36. Munting Haman, 37. Ntsako Ndlovu, 38. Pieter van der Merwe, 39. Ratagan van Rooi, 40. Riwan van Aswegen, 41. RJ Barnard, 42. Rocco Myburg, 43. Ruan Enslin, 44. Ruan Lippold, 45. Ruben Pienaar, 46. Rubin Dames, 47. Stephan Pretorius, 48. Unathi Mlotshwa, 49. Viaan Mentoor, 50. Zian Marais.
2025 Vodacom Bulls Under-21 squad: 1. Abri van der Westhuysen, 2. Achumile Mnandi, 3. Akha Mjawule, 4. Akhona Kunene, 5. Alfondso Isaacs, 6. Ali Thiam, 7. Buks Britz, 8. Caleb Abrahams, 9. Camden Schoeman, 10. Casper Badenhorst, 11. Cephas van Biljon, 12. Daniel van der Merwe, 13. Daylon Myners, 14. Demetri Erasmus, 15. Dian Smal, 16. Dieter Schubert, 17. Eduan Vosloo, 18. Heinrich Cloete, 19. Ian van der Merwe, 20. Jaco Grobbelaar, 21. Jason van der Merwe, 22. Jayden Fortuin, 23. Jaydon Bantom, 24. JJ Theron, 25. Jonathan Eloff, 26. JT Kapank, 27. Juan Fourie, 28. Juan Smal, 29. Juanre Breitenbach, 30. Kobus Janse van Rensburg, 31. Leejay Petersen, 32. Liam Koen, 33. Lilitha Matsiliza, 34. Lithemba Mfupi, 35. Logan Opperman, 36. Lukas Meyer, 37. Luyolo Doyi, 38. Marco Ferreira, 39. Mbasa Maqubela, 40. Michael Versfeld, 41. Nokutenda Mapungwana, 42. PA van Niekerk, 43. RD Engelbrecht, 44. Rouwan Mitchell, 45. Ruben Thompson, 46. Sandisiwe Msengana, 47. Shaun Schurmann, 48. Stephan Brits, 49. Steven Nel, 50. Thandolwami Nsthangase, 51. Tian Vorster, 52. Wiehan Labuschagne, 53. Zander Lourens.