The Blue Bulls Company has released Vodacom Bulls lock Wilhelm Steenkamp on loan to the Sharks for the remainder of the Vodacom Super 14 competition.
Steenkamp, who has 19 Super Rugby caps, will return to his Pretoria base after completion of the competition.
He will again be available for selection for the Vodacom Blue Bulls once the Currie Cup season starts.
According to the BBC’s business and high performance manager, Ian Schwartz, a request from the Sharks to utilize the services of Steenkamp, was granted and Steenkamp will join the coastal side immediately.
“Wilhelm will get playing time at the Sharks, which will not only benefit the player, but South African rugby as a whole,” Schwartz said of Steenkamp, who last year also represented the Emerging Boks against the British and Irish Lions.
“The Sharks is in need of a top class lock and we have released Wilhelm due to our depth in that position. We have no doubt that he will add value to the Sharks in their campaign.”
courtesy of www.thebulls.co.za
hi Rob this is why i asked you this question yesterday, i had inside info re this, but good news i think
I’m in two minds… major slap in the face to the young talent in Durban.
Why must we develop one of the Bulls guys for them, instead of developing our own?
With Muller back and Syksie and Hargreaves I think we would have been OK. I rates Hargreaves and hope he doesn’t miss out on gametime because of this.
Good to have back up though
Sies, deeply shocked…from the Bulls of all places, we’re not that thin at lock are we? Psycho Sykes, Hargreaves, Muller and Rhodes should be enough to see us through the season…..blame ver-Straeuli for this. Probably he’s ‘wonderfull’ negotiation skills that got us this deal.
@robdylan (Comment 2) : Suppose it comes down to whether you want experience or not. I think you can have a youngster on the bench and give him 5 here or there, but have an experienced one start. This is good news Rob, and great stuff from the Bulls… but it benefits them too for Steenkamp to get game time.
It’s tea on Day 5 and the Proteas need to survive one more session with the 3 wickets in hand! I’m sooooooooo nervous!
@Pokkel (Comment 3) : Hargreaves realy impressed me last season, also not as thin as he used to be…gonna be real star for the Bokke one day, hope he gets the game time he deserves, maybe Steenkamp is there as backup for the three experienced locks.
@klempie (Comment 6) : Parnell seems to be holding out well…. and Amla is a machine…Go Proteas
@klempie (Comment 6) : What, we’re still hanging in there?…But this final session saw us collapse on day 2 didn’t it?
problem is rob even though i do agree mate , we need his experience
@FireTheLooser (Comment 9) : Day 1. It’s inexplicable. But the situation is that if we manage to not lose more than two wickets in the next 2 hours we win the series!
@klempie (Comment 11) : Gonna be a long 2 hours…can we pull an England here? Hope the guys took tips from them.
looser rhodes is a good player i agree but he is not a lock
if we played him there and it didnt go well for hijm he would have been slated by the fans , just like fransie or ruan has been when playing out of position
we need an experienced lock this is super 14 and i think sharks have made the right call
and thanks to the bulls
@robdylan (Comment 2) : part of me is surprised though rpob as to where are the up and comming locks that play for the wildebeest side and under 21′s?
@sharks_lover (Comment 10) : it’s short-sighted. There’s only one team that benefits from this move and it ain’t the Sharks. Strooli is just too dumb to see it.
Bigger picture here…
@sharks_lover (Comment 14) : Bresler, Marais… nothing wrong with either.
this is great news….this oke is a class lock….rob…your logic is a bit strange? Not happy to assist developing a Bulls and SA lock but happy to have JMH and other foreigners here?
No my man…be grateful…sharks have an awesome deal here…very fortunate IMO
@FireTheLooser (Comment 12) : I wish we had Graeme Swann!
@sharks_lover (Comment 13) : Oi lover, lets keep it on a first name basis…
Agree with Rob, ver-Straeuli being his short sighted old self, we’ve got 3 top class locks, bringing in a younger guy now is perfect, low pressure…maybe not Rhodes then but one of the guys from Sharks XV or how’s about doing some scouting and find a local club lock with age on his side….get out there and find the guys.
@grant10 (Comment 17) : no – I’m not that happy about JMH or any hasty flyhalf import either. Although I’m sure we’ll see another one of those soon too. Sharks invest millions in developing young players. Now we need to back them.
I’m going to be even more consistently on-message with this – just watch.
@grant10 (Comment 17) : What does his inclussion help us come the CC, then he’s off to Bulls again, develope the guys we have, we’ve got more than enough talent in KZN…as for JMH, we’re all much more excited to have Ruan there, same scenario in ’08 with Freddie.
Off cricinfo:
Hashim Amla has batted for 21 hours and 14 minutes in the series, and seven hours and 31 minutes in this innings.
You go boy!
@klempie (Comment 22) : Man of the series for Amla, he’s cemented his position in the side.
well….lets agree to differ on this one….Heinke and Gary Botha had great stints at sharks if i remember. Whats best for SA rugby should be the way i reckon….
@grant10 (Comment 24) : Btw, congrats on the star…now you just need to get a pick.
You should be more than happy this week, Smit at 2, BJ possibly coming back, Sharks to win by 14.
Only reaon you could be grumpy is because of Stormers ref Brown-nose….strengfff with that one
Damn. Parnell’s gone.
@sharks_lover (Comment 13) : Pleasure, but please don’t play him out of position
Wilhelm is a very good Paarl GalPil lock. Wish he could join his younger Boet at the WeePee.
so for much for “what lock crisis” at the Sharks, clearly Plum doesn’t rate any of those blokes if he is going to get van zyl running up & down begging barend van graan to release steenkamp!
This sharks academy is really a sham…
@robdylan (Comment 15) : rob i hear what ur saying mate , but as good as those 2 are they also not setting the world alight when the do play
i am for it as the experience he brings , to me that is the big difference as he is a bok
mullerhas never recovered fully from all his shoulder and arm injuries , so having steenkamp there to me is a blessing
OK. Bad light stopped play 10 overs short on Day 1 (which I think was clear). There are 26 overs left today which means we will in all likelihood only need to survive another 16 overs hopefully. Come on boys!!
@diablo (Comment 27) : lol diablo man i hope not
but having him at lock means alberts can immidiatly move back to loose forward where he is helping out this comming weekend
@sharks_lover (Comment 30) : steenkamp is a bok? How did I miss that happening?
@diablo (Comment 27) : Don`t worry we`ll teach him the ways of a winning culture down here . . .
@Original Pierre (Comment 34) : dude
you’re bluffing on a losing hand there!
@Original Pierre (Comment 34) :
Harris pulls out at the last minute. Ishant has a few words to say. Harris ignores him and gets across to have a chat with his partner and the umpire. Was there a camera flash from the crowd?!
haha…brilliant Harro.
@klempie (Comment 37) : random thought. Are there any pure cricket blog sites? Gap in the market?
The Waratahs have picked former Blue Bulls lock Hendrik Roodt in their squad for Saturday’s Super 14 match against the Stormers at Newlands.
@robdylan (Comment 33) : i think he is an Emerging Bok…he played the whole 2008 season for the Bulls when Victor was at Toulon.
Harris goes.
264/9. Morkel coming to the wicket. 22 overs remaining assuming bad light doesn’t stop play.
This news Really Sucks
Who the F%&$ is the C%&$ who doesnt want to use our talent pools, I think its time they close the Academy, cause there is no use for it :pissed-off:
Another injury for the Force, Ryan Cross, anyone not yet slotted their Superbru predidctions, this will be a slaughtering of the Force this weekend…I’ve got Hurricanes by 19, think even that might be a bit conservative.
rob didnt steenkamp play for the midweek bok side with sykes ??
14 overs remaining. Apparently the light is good.
@robdylan (Comment 38) : Cricinfo have pretty much got every gap filled in the interweb cricket market.
@klempie (Comment 45) : I can tell you the light is very good….clear blue skies there, and fanatical fans screaming their head off…presure
@FireTheLooser (Comment 47) : I could be watching on my desktop but I am afraid to jinx them. I may watch once there are 5 overs to go.
@klempie (Comment 48) : Naah you don’t wanna watch, I only go by the tv every now and then, too nervous we loose our final wicket….hectic
damn, still 11 overs to go….
11 to go. I can’t handle this.
@klempie (Comment 51) : snap
10 overs to go.
9 to go.
@sharks_lover (Comment 44) : nope. Emerging Bols only
8 to go.
@robdylan (Comment 55) : Tanks Rob, can’t believe there was only two entries, what’s wrong with the people?
Anycase their loss, ty again.
7 to go.
Damn, only 6 to go, can Morkel be our man?
6 to go.
I am busting for a leak and I am NOT getting up!!
5 to go.
4 to go.
3 to go.
Morkel goes.
Bugger it.
@klempie (Comment 65) : Tragic, so close yet so bleeding far…
@FireTheLooser (Comment 66) : Indeed.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 66) : that sounds all too familiar for a proteas/sharks fan
@war1 (Comment 68) : Ja too true…hate it, the disapointment is so much greater when it goes down to the wire, us Sharks have had so many of those…
@FireTheLooser (Comment 4) :
yes that is really a shock what is wrong with our baby sharks there are good players why did we not give them a chance i can only guess what the Bulls are saying amounst themselves just shocking the sharks have to and ask the Bulls of all teams for a player to for a s 14
Hi Rob thanks for my star it really looks great to have one it makes it all the more fun to work for another 2
@diablo (Comment 36) : You know I can`t resist the urge to give a Bull some stick
@klempie (Comment 65) : Shit..why do we always lose the close games….dammit
@Charmaine (Comment 70) : Good luck with your son, he’s gonna give you so much hassles over this little situation….
back to the subject of the article, this is not good imho, why not give the younger players a chance???? well, plum is taking a break from coaching during the currie cup, hopefully whoever takes his place has the guts to give the younger players a chance!!
@Jarson’s (X + V) (Comment 42) : i agree there close the academy i wanted to send my gran kid someday but then he will never get his chance to play for the sharks they would rather look to the bulls for players just bad judgment from their sides i think
@klempie (Comment 67) : Is jy al op 5 sterre? Wys net hoeveel kak jy al op die site kwytgeraak het
@klempie (Comment 67) : Amla man of the match and series….nice one Amla….you gooooooooo boyeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!
@Pokkel (Comment 77) : Het nie eers gesien nie!
@FireTheLooser (Comment 78) : Hash gets the cash!
@war1 (Comment 75) : What? he is, that’s the first I hear of this, hopefully Straeuli won’t try his hand at coaching during that time.
@Megatron (Comment 29) :
i wonder what the guys in the academy are saying about this has any body info
@FireTheLooser (Comment 74) : you can say that again
@Charmaine (Comment 82) : i’ll try find out
thanks
I see Danie Rossouw is injured and can’t play this weekend. I wonder if they’ll ask for Wilhelm back
@Pokkel (Comment 86) : That’s a bit of a problem….not that i’d mind…give Rhodes a chance to prove himself.
@Original Pierre (Comment 72) :
Was wondering if I should now don something black when the Sharks play, seeing as we have a small % stake in them 
Perhaps a black armband 
@diablo (Comment 88) : a black armband over your Blue Bulls Shirt……don’t bother
Good day all . Re: steenkamp to sharks. None of the mentioned age group locks have any cc experience yet,so to play in s14 will be major step-up imho.steenkamp has some super rugby caps and me thinks he will give his all 4 the cause if called on.this is a chance for him to show his mettle.
@diablo (Comment 88) : We`d be happy if you just switched to low sulphur eco diesel in your bakkie
@Original Pierre (Comment 91) : Watse goed – wil jy nou die bakkie se performance heelemal opd&^@%r?????
Ok, is this a good thing for the Sharks or not? I am not happy about having a bull in our team, but if we benefit by it I suppose it is worth it, though why not give a Sharks player the opportunity instead of using a bulls player?
@robdylan (Comment 15) : Who exactly will benefit from this? The Bulls or the Sharks? I am feeling somewhat apprehensive about this and not entirely happy
So sorry but my internet is giving so much trouble today, struggled to log in and post comments. Off to the Shark tank now now thanks to Sharksworld
@dawnwallenkamp (Comment 95) : enjoy it!
@diablo (Comment 88) : we’ll all get the black armbands out once we lose the first tour game