Cape Town - The Bulls on Friday confirmed the signing of Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen.
On Friday the Pretoria franchise tweeted: "Big DV is coming".
“Duane is an amazing rugby player, and is well respected around the world. We firmly believe that his abrasive style of play and experience will add immense value to our Super Rugby campaign next year. At the age of 32, he is a seasoned veteran, that just gets better with every season,” Blue Bulls high performance manager Xander Janse van Rensburg said via a press statement.
Vermeulen, 32, is currently in Japan where he plays for the Kubota Spears.
He missed the recent Rugby Championship due to his club commitments in the Far East, but will be available for the Springboks on their upcoming year-end tour to Europe.
Vermeulen said he was excited to join the Bulls: “2019 is going to be a massive year for us and I’m keen on starting it with an impact at Loftus. The Bulls have always been a team that I have respected and I’m looking forward to joining the family."
The 42-Test capped star loose forward was earlier also linked to a move back to the Stormers, whom he represented between 2009 and 2015.
He will arrive in Pretoria in February 2019 and spend the duration of the season with the Bulls.
#BullsFamily pic.twitter.com/Y5nINTMdq2
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) October 26, 2018
Duane Vermeulen joins #BullsFamily.https://t.co/HfdTGW635M pic.twitter.com/NwHzlHVckE
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) October 26, 2018