Bulls have unfinished business in upcoming United Rugby Championship

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 quarter-finals in their second season in the URC.

Speaking at the Bulls' glittering awards ceremony recently which celebrated their individual player success from last season, there was still a feeling amongst the players that their journey in the 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 Bulls Back of the Season at the team's glittering awards 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 Bulls Players' Player of the Season in his debut United Rugby Championship season.

"It's a special feeling to be recognised and backed by your fellow teammates," he told the Bulls website.

"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 semi-final victory at Loftus Versfeld.

"In that semi-final 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."

Amongst the other awards winners were Elrigh Louw being voted the Bulls Forward of the Season, and Kurt-Lee Arendse claiming both the Bulls MVP and Player of the Season awards.

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