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Pretoria - The Vodacom Bulls are set to be rocked by the departure of another player - and this time another flyhalf as well.
Supersport.com confirmed that Tian Schoeman, who started for the Bulls in their Super Rugby match against the Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, has accepted an offer from French club Bordeaux when his contract expires at the province at the end of October this year.
Schoeman, whose white blonde hair has earned him the nickname “Jack Frost” among his team-mates, has been the regular understudy for Springbok pivot Handre Pollard and will be leading the Bulls charge since Pollard was ruled out for 8-10 weeks with an ankle injury, sustained on Thursday.
The third flyhalf in the group, Francois Brummer, recently signed with Japanese club Toyota Shokki and will head there for the Currie Cup season before returning for Super Rugby next year.
But the news that Schoeman will be gone is a blow for the Bulls, who have been specifically targeted by overseas clubs in recent times.
Lock RG Snyman signed last week for Honda Heat and will spend the Currie Cup season in Japan while Springbok midfielder Jan Serfontein turned down a joint offer from the Bulls and SA Rugby this week and will be looking to go overseas for the foreseeable future.
Schoeman though, received an offer that was “significantly” higher than what he is currently earning at the Bulls and his agent Gert-Andries van der Merwe confirmed he would be accepting the offer.
The Bulls did meet with Van der Merwe on Thursday but they have not commented on Schoeman’s impending departure. Schoeman has proven himself a decent boot and can control a game well but has also blown hot and cold at times. The move would see him experiencing the French culture after spending most of his career in Pretoria since turning professional after school.
Schoeman was also part of the 2013 victorious Tuks team that won the Varsity Cup and was at school at John Vorster in Pretoria. He spent a year with the Pumas before returning to Pretoria, and made his Currie Cup debut against Western Province in 2014, with a Super Rugby debut coming in 2015. He has 28 appearances for the Super Rugby side thus far.
