True grit, pure athleticism and unparalleled tactical nous are on the line as six Vodacom Bulls legends battle for the honour of being the first inductee into SA Rugby magazine’s Bulls Hall of Fame.

That’s right, SA Rugby mag is on a mission to launch a Hall of Fame for each SA franchise. Starting with the Bulls, six players who plied their trade from the dawn of Super Rugby will be featured in a poll where readers decide who gets inducted first.

Reserved yet calculating, Fourie Du Preez is a two-time SA Rugby Player of the Year who served the Bulls with aplomb from 2002 to 2011. He is a three-time Currie Cup champion (2003, 2004 and 2009, a three-time Super Rugby winner (2007, 2009 and 2010) and was named SA Rugby Player of the Year in 2006 and 2009.

He was the embodiment of consistency, had big match temperament in abundance and rarely had a bad day at the office, supplying the Bulls backline with high-quality service supplemented by a clean boot to launch the ball with precision and poise.

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One of rugby’s most-decorated players of all time, Rossouw won it all with the Bulls. From 1999 to 2011, he racked up over 200 combined caps at club and provincial levels, scored 32 tries, won the Currie Cup in 2004 and 2009, and is a three-time Super Rugby champion (2007, 2009 and 2010).

Never given his due credit, Rossouw was often overlooked and he steered clear of the limelight while quietly going about his work, but make no mistake, he was formidable on defence, a strong ball-carrier and consistently churned out quality performances.

Born in Pretoria and never straying from the Bulls, there was no doubt Joost van der Westhuizen’s blood was blue. The World Rugby Hall of Famer played his entire 10 years of professional rugby at the Bulls, and captained the side to Currie Cup titles in 1998 and 2002.

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Despite his towering height for a scrumhalf, Van der Westhuizen was the complete package. His ability to spot a gap in the opponent’s defence, coupled with his pace, saw the sniping halfback break the line on countless occasions, while his size and fearlessness made him a force to be reckoned with on defence.

Spies was blessed with impressive athleticism for a man of his size and was a big-play threat at No 8 every time he touched the ball. He made 119 Super Rugby appearances for the Bulls and notched 17 Currie Cup caps, dotting down 33 times between 2005 and 2015.

He won his first Super Rugby title with the Bulls in 2007, scoring the opening try of the Super 14 final against the Sharks in Durban, before doing the double in 2009, claiming a second Super Rugby title to go with a Currie Cup title. Just one year later, the Bulls beat the Stormers in the final and Spies added a third Super Rugby medal to his tally.

Not fitting the conventional mould of a lumbering South African No 8, Spies relied on his explosive power to make an impact for the Bulls. He often popped up in the backline, and his electric pace for a forward equated to damaging runs straight through the heart of the defence.

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Bakkies Botha, the original enforcer and one of the most intimidating players to grace the game, is widely regarded as the best lock of all time. Botha won the Vodacom Cup in 2001, is a four-time Currie Cup champion (2002, 2004, 2006 and 2009), holds four Super Rugby medals (2007, 2009 and 2010) and was nominated for the SA Rugby Player of the Year award in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Botha’s unrelenting physicality often teetered on the brink of indiscipline, but his impact on the game more than made up for the occasional controversy. He was rock-solid at lineouts, cleaned rucks with ferocity, dealt monstrous tackles and had surprising skill for a man his size.

The undisputed king of lineouts, Matfield made almost 200 combined Super Rugby and Currie Cup appearances for the Bulls and raked in accolades over his storied career, raising the Currie Cup on three occasions (2002, 2004 and 2009) and claiming the Super 14 title in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

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He was a master at disrupting lineouts, and along with Botha, he created the most feared lock combination in the world, leaving opponents scratching their heads and grasping at thin air as momentum shifted the Bulls’ way. Matfield was no stranger to the try line either, crossing the whitewash 13 times for the Bulls.

Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images