Publications
Partners
Cape Town - The Bulls are adamant that young lock Hendre Stassen will return from France to play for them in this year's Super Rugby competition.
According to Netwerk24, the 21-year-old is currently playing for Stade Francais in the Top 14 on a loan agreement but is scheduled to return to Pretoria at the end of March.
Stade Francais are coached by former Springbok and Bulls mentor Heyneke Meyer and there are rumours that Stassen has impressed so much that the Parisian club want to sign him permanently.
He was often utilised at flank by Meyer and has been named player-of-the-match four times by his team-mates.
Stassen, loose forward Hanro Liebenberg and scrumhalf Andre Warner were all loaned to Stade Francais after last year's Currie Cup.
Liebenberg, who captained the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup, and Warner have since returned to Pretoria and the Bulls are adamant that Stassen will report for duty.
"He has a contract with the Bulls and it has to be honoured. We had a loan agreement and it's nothing more than that," Xander Janse van Rensburg, the Bulls' high performance manager, said.
If Stade Francais were to negotiate now with Stassen behind the scenes, it would be in breach of World Rugby's regulations.
The Bulls, meanwhile, are hard at work for Super Rugby and will play a warm-up game against the Sharks in Ballito on Saturday.
They open their Super Rugby campaign at home against the Stormers the following Saturday (February 16).
