Bulls star joins Welsh club on short-term deal

Cape Town - Welsh club Ospreys have announced the signing of Bulls centre Johnny Kotze on a three month contract.

Described as "one of the most important cogs" at the Bulls following a season where he scored seven tries in 16 Super Rugby appearances, Kotze has agreed a short-term contract and will link up with the Ospreys later this month.

Capable of playing at inside and outside centre, as well as wing, 25-year-old Kotze is 1.85m tall and weighs in at 89kg.

"I am super psyched to join the Ospreys after the 2018 Currie Cup season. The Ospreys have had a great PRO14 season thus far and I am looking forward to contributing to the club’s success in any way I can," Kotze said after confirming his move to the Liberty Stadium.

Born in Carltonville, Kotze will add considerable experience to the Ospreys backline, having come through at Cape Town-based Western Province before getting his first taste of Super Rugby with Stormers, featuring regularly in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

He then moved to Pretoria where he has played in the Currie Cup for Blue Bulls, this year establishing himself as an influential member of the Bulls’ Super Rugby squad. He is currently involved in Currie Cup action, with Blue Bulls well placed for a semi-final spot going into the final round of action this weekend.

He will travel to Wales as soon as club’s involvement in the competition comes to an end.

Dan Griffiths, Rugby General Manager, welcomed Kotze, saying he will have an important role to play over the next three months.

"We are going in to an important period in terms of our aspirations for the season, with international call-ups and injuries impacting, so to have the ability to bring in a player of Johnny’s quality will give everyone a real boost.

"He is someone who will bring physicality and go forward to the backline, covering multiple positions, and will, I’m sure, prove to be a great asset over a three month period.

"Developing home grown talent remains a priority for us, as it should be, and we are proud to have an average of 21 Welsh qualified players in our matchday squad this season, but we recognise that adding in the right non Welsh qualified talent can help us achieve our performance targets."

Here's Johnny….

Welcome to the Ospreys @JohnnyKotze#MyTeam pic.twitter.com/OMCP9Az7z3

— Ospreys (@ospreys) October 10, 2018