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Ex-Springbok Gio Aplon follows Jake White home from Japan and signs for the Bulls
By Online Editors
New Bulls boss Jake White has signed ex-Springbok utility back Gio Aplon from Toyota Verblitz, the club the coach himself left to head home to South Africa. The 37-year-old, who was last capped in 2012, forged his career at the Stormers before heading to French club Grenoble in 2014.
“The Vodacom Bulls have always been a formidable force in the rugby world,” said Aplon in a tweet on the club's social media page following his signing.
“I have always had a great deal of respect for the brand and what it has achieved, and I’m truly looking forward to running out at Loftus. Coach Jake has an amazing vision and plan for the team, and I am just honoured that he wants me as part of it. I look forward to making the #BullsFamily proud.”
Verblitz had been breaking even in the Japan Top League before the season was cancelled in March due to the coronavirus outbreak, White’s side winning three of its six matches. Aplon was only used in one of those games, a February win over Kubota.
While will hope the veteran’s experience will benefit the team and he will also want Aplon assisting the further development of the club’s younger outside backs.
Aplon’s signing is further indication of the change ongoing at the Bulls, who recently released coach Pote Human and installed a new CEO, Edgar Rathbone, to succeed Alfons Meyer.
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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