The Vodacom Bulls have pulled off a coup by extending the contract of one of the country’s top talents - loose forward Elrigh Louw - until 2027.
Louw, who is tipped for higher honours and is one of the form forwards of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship thus far, has been a sensation at Loftus Versfeld since arriving from the Southern Kings and his stay will be celebrated by the team’s fans.
It also marks a significant shift as the Bulls have stopped a young talent from being snapped up by a top overseas club with more money.
We are proud to announce that Elrigh Louw will remain a Vodacom Bull for the foreseeable future ?? He has signed a 5 year contract extension with us ??#TrueToTheBlue pic.twitter.com/0vzRtO9roj
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) April 5, 2022
The Bulls are also in talks to extend the contracts of fullback sensation Kurt-Lee Arendse and flyhalf Johan Goosen for the same period and last week extended lock talent Ruan Nortje’s contract until 2025.
“ The Vodacom Bulls are excited to confirm the landmark signing which sees the 22-year-old loose-forward extending his stay in Pretoria by five more years,” a team statement said.
“Louw is one of the Vodacom Bulls’ most exciting young talents and has proven himself as one of the country’s top talents.”
Director of Rugby Jake White was a happy man with the signing.
“We cannot stress the importance of reaching this landmark agreement with one of the best talents in South Africa at the moment,” White said.
“It is not often that, in this competitive era, we see players committing to long-term contracts like Elrigh has done. This is important not only for the Bulls, where Elrigh is set to grow and become an integral part of the team, but also for South African rugby.
“We believe that Elrigh is a certain future Springbok, who can go on to play many test matches for the Boks. It is also great to see such talent choosing to remain in South Africa despite being sought after by some of the top clubs globally.”