Veteran Springbok playmaker Willie le Roux has reportedly agreed to extend his contract with the Vodacom Bulls

Sunday news outlet Rapport suggests that Le Roux, whose current deal expires at the end of the season, was also approached by English club Gloucester, but he has since opted to stay in Pretoria.

The 35-year-old is understood to have previously held talks with Bath but those negotiations fell through. With flyhalf Johan Goosen struggling with injuries, the Bulls are said to have pushed to retain Le Roux as a versatile option in their backline.

Having joined the Bulls in 2023 from Japanese club Verblitz, Le Roux’s decision to remain in South Africa has according to Rapport been influenced by having a home on the Val de Vie estate near Paarl.

Willie le Roux

There was rightly criticism after last weekend’s loss to the Sharks but it was a much-improved performance from the Bulls veteran. Le Roux was particularly impressive, showing his playmaking class from the start as they quickly moved into a 17-0 advantage.

They were going at a point-a-minute at one stage and the fly-half was at the heart of their blistering opening. Le Roux‘s wide passing game stretched the Lions‘ defence while his decision-making was generally sound. He was rewarded with a try and an assist as the Springboks great finally showed that he could well be the team’s pivot going forward after his shocker in the previous game.

Veteran Springbok playmaker Willie le Roux has reportedly agreed to extend his contract with the Vodacom Bulls. Sunday news outlet Rapport suggests that Le Roux, whose current deal expires at the end of the season, was also approached by English club Gloucester, but he has since opted to stay in Pretoria.

It may have ended in a disappointing loss for the Johannesburg outfit, but the outstanding wing once again showed up well. In 2024, Van der Merwe followed Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse in becoming the latest scrum-capped wing to represent the Springboks and he has gone from strength-to-strength since then.

The 28-year-old was particularly excellent in the first half, showing up well on both sides of the ball. Van der Merwe is not just effective in attack – although it is a huge part of his armoury – as he also reads the game very well. He was slightly quieter with the ball after the break but the Test wing still did the basics impressively.

Fullback Willie le Roux has reportedly decided not to extend his contract with the Bulls and will leave the Pretoria outfit in mid-2025.