Akker van der Merwe has officially signed with the Vodacom Bulls, following his release from his contract with English Premiership club Sale Sharks last week.
Van der Merwe, who in a statement on Friday cited personal reasons for his Sale exit, joins the franchise after fellow Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis retired last month.
He has agreed to a three-year contract which will see him run out for the Bulls until June 2026, and will compete for the No 2 jersey with Johan Grobbelaar and Jan-Hendrik Wessels at the Pretoria outfit.
Popularly known as the ‘Angry Warthog’, Van der Merwe becomes the latest signing by the Bulls, after director of rugby Jake White recently strengthened their squad with up to five new recruits in the hope of competing for trophies in 2023-24.
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Previous reports linked the 32-year-old forward with a return to his former team, the Lions, in a bid to strengthen their depth at hooker while also boost his chances of a Bok recall.
“We are thrilled to have Akker join us and a player of his skill and calibre will be a wonderful addition for our franchise as we continue evolving and set our eyes on success across the various competitions,” Blue Bulls Company CEO Edgar Rathbone said.
“He is also a well-travelled player that has continuously done well wherever he has played and that speaks of a resilient character that will be of great help to our younger players too. I know he is a player who is keen to give as much as he can, and his know-how will be invaluable for us.
“We welcome him to the capital and hope that he will have a wonderful time running out with the herd in blue.”
🚨 NEW SIGNING ALERT 🚨
There’s an Angry Warthog heading to Loftus 😤 Welcome to the Vodacom Bulls Akker van der Merwe ✍️ pic.twitter.com/6bFtICUkVo
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) July 4, 2023
ANGRY WARTHOG INCOMING 😤 😤 😤 pic.twitter.com/iF2uzXDVeW
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) July 4, 2023
Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix