Bok eighthman Pierre Spies, who has apparently been dragging his heels a little bit, has now finally signed the contract extension put in front of him by the Blue Bulls and will, as a result, remain at Loftus for the next three years, until October 2015.
Spies captained the Bulls in Super Rugby this year, but otherwise didn’t enjoy a great season on a personal level, with a thumb injury ruling him out of the inaugural Rugby Championship, as well as the Currie Cup. With talk rife that he was due to lose his position in the Springboks starting lineup even if he hadn’t sustained the injury, the ground appeared to be well laid for a move away from Loftus and the South African spotlight.
A story broke some weeks back linking Spies with a big-money move to Bayonne in France; that, however, was quickly dismissed as spurious by player.
He has now, though, put pen to paper and committed his future to Pretoria, telling SuperSport that “the Blue Bulls are my rugby home and also the environment in which I grew up. It will be an honour to again call it my rugby home for the next three years. I hope I can help write a memorable and successful part of the Bulls history during this time.”
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Ag shame
Great news!! I hope he captains them too next year. That way he will have to start every game even if there are more talented players in the squad!
On a franchise/provincial level this is brilliant news; the odds of the Bulls winning any trophies has just decreased significantly.
Not great news for the Boks though; Spies’ BFF Geenbreineke Meyer is sure to recall him faster than you can say “overblown, ineffectual imitation of an eighth man” 🙁
Some time spent away playing NH rugby may have done his career a lot of good
@vanmartin (Comment 4) : Or even just playing somewhere else in SA.
Poor Arno Botha
Though I don’t want the bulls to play good rugby I rally just wish that can go back to his best…he really was good back in the day…
@sharktooth (Comment 7) : He never really impressed me that much. Always thought he was not the best nr 8 for the Bok jersey. He might have bulges in the right places, but no “Ballas” Just my opinion. 😉