Despite Jake White’s best efforts, the Vodacom Bulls have failed to convince a key lock to turn down an overseas move and extend his stay with the franchise.
After two years, 57 appearances from a possible 87, with more than 3 708 minutes played in blue, Walt Steenkamp has departed the Vodacom Bulls.
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The towering 27-year-old lock will be heading to Japan with a host of memories from his time in Pretoria.
Since his arrival from the Cheetahs, Steenkamp has rubberstamped his authority in the second row, proving solid in defensive play and set-pieces. The Rustenburg native has made a whopping 339 tackles whilst taking 121 lineouts, with 165 ball carries.
“My time at Loftus has been nothing short of amazing, working with an incredible coaching team, thank you to coach Jake for all that he has done for me and my career,” said Steenkamp.
“Luckily I got to say my goodbyes on home ground because my last game should have been against Benetton but when that was extended to the end of the first part of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, it meant I could have a farewell in front of our Bulls family. The fact that we went on to win against the Sharks was the cherry on top.
“I may be going away but I will be following closely as the team progresses in the competition, I will be supporting them from the other side and I do have a belief that they have what it takes to win not only the Vodacom United Rugby Championship but all the other competitions as well because this is a special group of players, with immense talent.”
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At the time of signing for the Vodacom Bulls, Steenkamp said he relished the opportunity to be mentored by Jake White, hoping to grow from strength to strength under his leadership.
Vodacom Bulls director of rugby White would have preferred to see Steenkamp continue to grow in Pretoria.
“I have tried very hard to talk him out of it, getting his friends involved too,” said White. “The reality is, we cannot hold onto everybody but the nice thing is, they can always come back because no one is leaving on bad terms. Walt is not old that we may never see him again, so when his contract ends (in Japan) who knows, he might be a better player and we will be happy to welcome him back.
“I wish him well, I have been and coached in Japan and I know he will have a great time there because he has all the right qualities that any coach would appreciate having on their team.”
Photo: Christiaan Kotze/BackpagePix
