Bulls announce signing of Bismarck du Plessis

The 2007 World Cup-winning hooker, who has a total of 79 tests to his name, will join the Bulls following a six-year stint at French club Montpellier.

The 37-year-old, who began his rugby career in his native Free State, represented the Cheetahs in 2003 before moving to the coast to join the Sharks, where he spent the next decade from 2005.

 It was in 2015 that his tenure at Montpellier began.

“We are really pleased to have secured Bismarck’s signature,” said Bulls director of rugby, Jake White.

“Bismarck is the calibre of player we want here at Loftus – somebody who has a lot to offer on the field of play, and also vast experience that he can impart on the youngsters. There is no doubt that guys like Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Joe van Zyl, Johan Grobbelaar and Schalk Erasmus will gain plenty from his presence.”