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Springbok Aphiwe Dyantyi one of two to join South African rivals
By Josh Raisey
Fresh from their United Rugby Championship final defeat, the Bulls have announced the signing of winger Aphiwe Dyantyi and flanker Kuyenzeka Xaba from the Stormers.
The 13-cap Springbok, and former World Rugby breakthrough player of the year, made his professional return at the end of 2023 after serving a four-year doping ban.
The 29-year-old has signed a two-year deal with the Bulls, which will keep him at Loftus Versfeld until June 2026.
“This feels like a second opportunity,” said Dyantyi.
“It will be good to be in an environment like the one the Vodacom Bulls have, almost very familiar considering that I was down the highway during the start of my career.
“I spent over 10 years in Gauteng, so it is familiar territory and this move feels like me coming home. I am closer to family and friends, a support structure that has been so important for me over the years.
“I hope to enjoy my time with the Loftus family and am thankful for the opportunity Jake (White) and Edgar (Rathbone) have given me."
Stormers flanker Xaba has also signed a two-year deal with the URC runners-up, and has set his sights on winning more silverware for the Bulls.
“This is a privilege for me to come join the most successful union in South Africa,” the 26-year-old said.
“I am looking forward to a different challenge away from my comfort zone. There is a lot of quality players at the Vodacom Bulls and I want to play alongside them. I also have a wonderful opportunity to be taught by seasoned coaches, I am looking forward to learning from them.
“I cannot wait to slot into the brand of rugby this club plays and I have hopes of doing my bit to help add more silverware to the Loftus trophy cabinet.”
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Warren, if you think you should stay on coaching Wales, you are beyond deluded. If you love Wales & Welsh rugby as much as you say you do (& I'm sure you probably do) you should resign immediately so this once proud & passionate rugby nation can rebuild without you. How many of your players will make the British & Irish Lions squad.?
It's time to walk the plank.!
Go to commentsYeah nar I pretty much agree with that sentiment, wasn't just about the lineout though.
Yeah, I think it's the future of SR, even TRC. Graham above just now posting about how good a night it was with a dbl header of ENGvSA and NZvFrance, and now I don't want to kick SA or Argentina out of TRC but it would be great if in this next of the woods 2 more top teams could come in to create more of these sort of nights (for rugby's appeal). Often Arg and SA and both travel here and you get those games but more often doesn't work out right.
Obviously a long way off but USA and Japan are the obvious two. First thing we need to do is get Eddie Jones kicked out of Japan so they can start improving again and then get a couple of US teams in SRP (even if one its just a US based and augmented Jaguares).
It will start off the whole conferences are crap debate again (which I will continue to argue vehemently against), but imagine a 6 team Pacific conference, Tokyo Sunwolves (drafted from Tokyo JRLO teams), Tokyo All Stars (made up of best remaining foreign players and overseas drafts), ALL Nihon (best of local non Tokyo based talent, inc China/Korea etc, with mainland Japan), a could of West Coast american franchises and perhaps a second self PI driven Hawai'i based team, or Jagaures. So I see a short NFL like 3 or 4 month comp as fitting best, maybe not even a full round, NZvAUSvPAC, all games taking place within a 6hr window. Model for NZ will definitely still require a competitive and funded NPC!
On the Crusaders, I liked last years ending with Grace on the bench (ovbiously form dependent but thats how it ended) and Lio-Willie at 8. I could have Blackadder trying to be a 7 but think balance will be used with him at 6 and Kellow as 7. Scott Barrett is an international 6 sized player. It is just NZ style/model that pushes him into the tight, I reckon he'd be a great loose player, and saders have Strange and Cahill as bigger players (plus that change could draw someone like Darry back). Same with Haig now, hes not grown yet but Barrett hight and been playing 6, now that the Highlanders have only chosen two locks he'll be playing lock, and that is going to change his growth trajectory massively, rather than seeing him grow like an International 6.
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