The Bulls are reportedly in discussions to sign former darling of Loftus Versfeld, Francois Hougaard.
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Hougaard has been playing his rugby for English side Worcester Warriors since 2016 having made the move north after eight years in Pretoria.
HOUGAARD HAS PLAYED 46 TESTS FOR THE SPRINGBOKS
Sunday newspaper Rapport reported that Hougaard could join Jake White’s squad later this year.
Hougaard, who is equally comfortable in both the scrumhalf and wing positions, currently has 46 Springbok Test caps to his name, the last of which came against the All Blacks in September 2017.
His signature would add all-important experience of northern hemisphere conditions to the Bulls squad as they prepare for their debut in the expanded PRO16 tournament later this year.
Prior to that, the Bulls will play in the Rainbow Cup from April-June, followed by the PRO16 in late 2021.
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It’s becoming clearer as to what White’s thinking is as he builds his squad for more matches north of the equator than ever before.
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Hougaard, 32, would be the second high-profile player with intimate knowledge of northern hemisphere conditions to quit the UK and head to Pretoria after Marcell Coetzee put pen to paper towards the end of last year.
With scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl set to quit Loftus and join former English Premiership champions Saracens in July this year, the recruitment of Hougaard makes perfect sense.
Hougaard played 88 Super Rugby matches for the Bulls and 48 Currie Cup games.
He was also a bronze medal winner at the 2016 Rio Olympics with the Blitzboks.
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