New Men at the Pumas

Nov 4 • General News • 6305 Views • Comments Off on New Men at the Pumas

Author: Carli Koch – Rugby15
Photo: Supplied
Caption: Pumas new signings: Jannie Stander, Marnus Schoeman, Marais Schmidt, Simon Westraad, Patrick O’Brien en Hoffmann Maritz.

Yet another Steval Pumas player will join a Super Rugby franchise next year. The Mpumalanga Rugby Union recently confirmed that the tight head, Vincent Koch will be released for Western Province’s Super campaign. He will also travel with the team for their game at Allianz Park against Saracens.
Koch will return to the Lowvelder for the Currie Cup season.

The 2013 Premier Division Currie Cup champions started with a seven-week training program on Monday with six new faces. Fullback of the Leopards who also started for Pukke in the Varsity Cup this year, Hoffman Maritz and flanker of the Griquas, Marnus Schoeman will be of great value to the team.
The union could not confirm whether the Blitzbok and former Junior Bokke, Shaun Adendorff and Western Province’s Neil Rautenbach will choose Mbombela as their new rugby home.

As for the blonde ball carrier, Renaldo Bothma he will be available for the Vodacom Cup before he travels with Namibia for their Rugby World Cup campaign in England in June. Namibian Rugby was the big winner at the Namibian Sports Commission Annual Awards held in Windhoek, Friday.
Bothma received the award as the most-improved athlete of the year. The 25-year-old made his debut for Namibia at the African Qualification Tournament where he scored four tries in Namibia’s 89-10 win over a Madagascar.

The injured Faf de Klerk and Rudi Mathee started training with the team again yesterday. De Klerk and Mathee together with Stefan Watermeyer and Corné Fourie will again join the Lions for their Super Rugby campaign. Rosko Specman will practise with the Blitzbokke and will not play for the Pumas in the Vodacom Cup.