Jake White elated over Ruan Nortje's Bok inclusion: 'A testament to hard work'

By SABC Sport
25th July 2024

Bulls boss Jake White is delighted that his co-captain Ruan Nortje has been called up to South Africa's Rugby Championship squad and has no doubt of the value he will add to the Springbok camp.

Nortje was added to South Africa's 33-man Rugby Championship squad as a replacement for veteran lock Franco Mostert, who broke his leg during the Boks' second Test against Ireland earlier this month, and he is the only player in the group who did not feature in the two-Test series against Ireland and the clash with Portugal in Bloemfontein.

Despite that, the 25-year-old is not unfamiliar with the Springboks set-up as he made his only Test appearance during their three-game series against Wales in 2022.

And White believes NortjeÃ¢˜s call-up is just reward after he was at the forefront of the BullsÃ¢˜ United Rugby Championship (URC) onslaught which saw them finish as runners-up after losing the final against Glasgow Warriors in Pretoria last month.

"I'm really happy for Ruan. He has come to the fore as a co-captain with us and commands great respect among the players thanks to the hard work he puts in and his attention to detail," White told Netwerk24.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he gives guidance in the lineouts. Grobbies (Johan Grobbelaar), who has now played in his first Test, already threw the ball in to Ruan a lot.

"That combination will work if the need arises for the Boks."

The Bulls' excellent form during the URC has been rewarded as apart from Nortje and hooker Grobbelaar, six other players from the Pretoria-based outfit have been called up to the Boks' Rugby Championship squad.

They are: Willie le Roux (full-back) and Kurt-Lee Arendse (winger), Elrigh Louw, Marco van Staden (both loose forwards), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (hooker and prop) and Gerhard Steenekamp (prop).

"Having eight players in the Bok squad will be hugely beneficial for us going forward," says White.

"It's been a long time since we had eight guys in the Bok group. Ruan will learn and get better and better. Whenever guys are exposed to that kind of practice, environment and pressure in Tests, they come back as much better players. It's gratifying for us."