There is a definite sense of unfinished business in the Vodacom Bulls camp as they prepare for the new season.
Jake White’s team has featured in every single season’s play-off phase of the competition, which in itself is a remarkable achievement. They’re one of the few teams to have beaten Leinster both at home and away in the play-offs, and they’ve reached two finals but come up short in both, while being knocked out in the quarterfinals in their second season in the VURC.
Speaking at the Vodacom Bulls’ glittering awards ceremony recently which celebrated their individual player success from last season, there was still a feeling among the players that their journey in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship is not yet complete.
An overall victory in this competition still eludes them, and it’s something they want to set right, from the most experienced players to the rookies.
“I’m very pleased with this past season, but obviously we didn’t win the final. It’s nice to get accolades, but this is a team sport and our goal as a team was to win the final,” says Johan Goosen, who was voted the Vodacom Bulls Back of the Season at the team’s glittering award’s ceremony recently.
“We still need to win this competition, so I’m looking forward to this new season. I’m enjoying my rugby and the body is feeling great. We’ve grown a lot as a group. But we need to win this one.”
Cameron Hanekom expressed a similar sentiment after he was voted the Vodacom Bulls Players’ Player of the Season in his debut Vodacom United Rugby Championship season.
“It’s a special feeling to be recognised and backed by your fellow teammates. I think the biggest lesson for me was the final. Just getting to that final and then falling short and having to pick yourself up. Mentally you get stronger as you work through that.”
And the young star is clearly hungry for more of the same feeling he experienced in a standout performance against Leinster where he was voted Man of the Match after that semifinal victory at Loftus Versfeld.
“In that semifinal I was lost for words. I couldn’t even speak to the coaches. It was an unbelievable feeling to be able to go out there and play my heart out. It felt so good to be able to bring my part to the team.”
Among the other awards winners were Elrigh Louw being voted the Vodacom Bulls Forward of the Season, and Kurt-Lee Arendse claiming both the Vodacom Bulls MVP and Player of the Season awards.
© Blue Bulls