The Bulls have passed on a big pay-out for Springboks star Kurt-Lee Arendse with the Pretoria-based club eager to retain his services.
Arendse is contracted to the Jake White-coached side until the end of the 2025/26 season but is currently plying his trade with Japanese club the Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars.
Kurt-Lee Arendse to return to the Bulls
The World Cup-winning winger took up the option of a playing sabbatical that was baked into his contract extension with the Bulls back in 2023.
He has been in sublime form for the club in Japan, scoring seven tries in 12 appearances while assisting a further three.
According to reports, the Boks flyer is not just enjoying Japan on the field but off it too, and the Bulls opened ‘serious talks’ about his future as the 28-year-old reportedly expressed his desire to make the move permanent.
This would require the Bulls granting him an early release from his contract, or an interested club would need to compensate the Pretoria-based side to secure his services.
But Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone has extinguished the speculation, stating that they are not interested in losing Arendse’s services before the conclusion of his contract, regardless of the offers on the table.
“There was never any discussion that he wouldn’t stay until 2026,” he told Rapport.
“We will talk about extending his contract when he is back.”
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Arendse’s form has caught the eye of Japanese clubs, with the outlet stating that three informed sources stated that he is in ‘high demand’ in the Asian country, with teams “willing to pay millions of rands in transfer fees’ to secure his services.
Bulls transfers
There was also a possibility that the Bok winger would be able to return to the Bulls this season in time for the United Rugby Championship play-offs but that is looking increasingly unlikely as the DynaBoars could well be featuring in the relegation-promotion matches.
Arendse now looks set to return to the Bulls next season, with the club also set to welcome fellow Boks Handre Pollard, Nico Janse van Rensburg and Jan Serfontein with Paul de Wet signing from the Stormers too.
Meanwhile, the publication also states that the Cheetahs have signed Bulls prop Tielman Nieuwoudt ahead of this year’s Currie Cup campaign.
The former Grey College student returns to Bloemfontein thanks largely to the efforts of former Stormers hooker Tiaan Liebenberg, who is joining the Cheetahs’ coaching team after a successful stint with the Shimlas.
The Cheetahs have also signed Varsity Cup star Ntokozo Makhaza who starred for Ikeys en route to this year’s title.
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/bulls-reject-millions-as-springboks-star-kurt-lee-arendse-denied-permanent-switch
