The Vodacom Bulls have been hit by a massive blow as one of their brightest stars - winger Sebastian de Klerk - had his season ended by a freak foot injury sustained against the DHL Stormers last weekend.
De Klerk, who has been one of the Bulls most potent weapons this season, broke a bone in his foot - known as the Lisfranc injury - and will only likely be back on the field by the end of the year with a number of surgeries planned.
A Lisfranc injury involves damaged ligaments or fractured bones in the midfoot, specifically where the metatarsal bones connect to the tarsal bones.
Often caused by twisting falls or crush injuries, it results in severe pain, swelling and bruising on top of the foot. Treatment requires urgent evaluation, typically needing surgery for unstable injuries, followed by long-term non-weightbearing recovery.
Coach Johan Ackermann commiserated with the winger, especially as he was recently called up to the Springbok alignment camp and seemed as if he was on the cusp of a breakthrough into the national squad.
“Sebastian unfortunately needs to get an operation and he will have to be out for a long time. He has a Lisfranc injury, if I’ve got the name right. That means it is surgery. I don’t want to speculate but it is a five to six months recovery time, and then they have to remove stuff and then it is another period out.,” Ackermann said.
“As to my understanding that is how they fix it, but we will only see him at the end of the year probably. He is a man of faith and let’s hope everything goes well and we see him soon.”
'NEEDS SUPPORT'
The Bulls coach said they would provide support to De Klerk after such a devastating injury.
“There’s no words that can comfort him, but we send him a message. He is disappointed for a number of reasons.
“One because he can’t play but also because he had a first taste of the Springbok environment, although it was only an alignment camp and not on the field. I know that the Springbok coaches speak very highly of him,” Ackermann explained.
“That is a disappointment - it is something you don’t always have the answers to, but luckily his cell group and everybody will be there to support him and pray for him. That is all we can trust - that there is a purpose, and who knows, there is still enough time for him to come back, play well and he could still go to the World Cup. Nothing is impossible but at the moment he just needs the support of everybody.”
Ackermann also addressed the other injuries in the senior group - those of winger Stravino Jacobs, hooker Akker van der Merwe and young lock Jaco Grobbelaar.
“Stravino is still out for a fair bit of time, he will only be back in May. He tore a finger ligament and that had to be attached. He is in a brace at the moment,” Ackermann revealed.
“Akker is still out for three months - out with his neck, and this is only 3 or 4 weeks in, so he has a fair bit of time to go. If we progress in the competition, we may see them at the back end in the last games or the playoffs, but we will have to see.
“Jaco Grobbelaar is out with torn cruciate ligaments, so he is out for the season.”
Ackermann did have a bit of good news in that midfielder Harold Vorster is likely to return for the Munster game next week.
“Harold has tested well. He failed his concussion test after the game and that automatically rules him out for Cardiff. His second and third test did very well so he will be ready next week.”
List of players unavailable for selection for our match against Cardiff tomorrow night 🐂 @Vodacom #URC | @URCOfficial_RSA pic.twitter.com/1RpJ8ueYMT
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) March 19, 2026