In another signing coup for the Vodacom Bulls, SA under-20 lock JF van Heerden has extended his contract with the team until June 2027.
Van Heerden, who was sought after by some French clubs and delayed his decision until after the recent Sanzaar under-20 Rugby Championship, will remain a Bull for the foreseeable future, joining recent contract extensions in Cameron Hanekom, Celimpilo Gumede, Johan Grobbelaar and others.
Van Heerden made a massive impression when asked with 15 minutes notice to replace Bulls captain Ruan Nortje for the Investec Champions Cup game against Lyon, where he put in a starring performance.
JF van Heerden has found his home at the Vodacom Bulls 🏆⚡️🐂#BackTheBulls | #DefendTheHerd pic.twitter.com/6hLI9TwibN
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) May 17, 2024
Since then he has become a regular in the Bulls line-up and captained the Junior Boks in their game against Australia, playing in all three Rugby Championship under-20 games for the age group national team.
The former Grey College lock was also a fixture in the SA Schools team of 2022
“The club has a really good program that they are running and I have personally grown a lot in this program. I am excited to see what the next three years will do for me over the next three years,” Van Heerden explained his decision in a team press release.
“There are a lot of good guys who are easy to work with and that is exciting. There is a few young guys who I can relate to and we can go a long way with, that is exciting for me. There are also a few experienced guys who I can learn from.”
“My biggest highlight so far was the victory over the Stormers, getting the opportunity to come off the bench in front of a full Loftus was quite special for me,”
“I am looking forward to getting better, settling in at the club and being a part of a squad that can go all the way and win the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.”
Other players who have recently extended their contracts at Loftus Versfeld include Ruan Vermaak, David Kriel, World Cup winner Marco van Staden and Jan-Hendrik Wessels while the Bulls have also confirmed the signings of Cobus Wiese from Sale Sharks and Sharks utility back Boeta Chamberlain for next season