Sebastian de Klerk: Bulls star reflects on injury layoff and discusses Bok dream

INTERVIEW: Bulls winger Sebastian de Klerk has reflected on his six-month injury layoff and is determined to return to his best form and pursue his Springbok ambitions.

De Klerk suffered an injury to his left foot against the Stormers in March, which ruled him out for the latter part of last season.

He underwent surgery and immediately began his rehabilitation, working his way back to full fitness before the Bulls’ pre-season began.

During his rehab phase, De Klerk picked up several hobbies like reading and worked on his side business while spending a lot of time with family.

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De Klerk regained full fitness before the start of the new season and has featured in every Bulls match so far, including their impressive 56-20 victory over Stade Français in the Investec Champions Cup this past weekend.

“I’ve enjoyed [playing again] a lot,” he began.

“Sometimes we can take things for granted, and in that time, I really missed playing for the Bulls and just going out there to compete.

“I’m very happy to be back, and I’m happy the coaches are giving me time to play and get minutes under the belt.”

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His first appearance after recovering from the injury came against the Stormers in a warm-up match in Paarl.

De Klerk admits he was nervous going into that match but has grown in confidence since.

“I’m starting to feel a lot more confident.

“That first game against the Stormers, I questioned if my foot was going to be alright. Since then, I’ve been enjoying it a lot.”

De Klerk’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time.

That’s because months before it occurred, the 26-year-old had been invited to one of the Springboks’ alignment camps, and the Bok coaches spoke highly of him.

Missing out on that potential opportunity and not playing at all frustrated him.

“Yeah, it was disappointing for a lot of reasons,” he added.

“I’ve struggled a lot with injuries in my career. I did both my knees when I was here at the Bulls; I did my left foot as well.

“I was just frustrated with the fact that I got injured again, but I believe everything happens for a reason. I’ve learnt a lot out of that. The motivation is very high to play well again and perform better.”

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— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) October 18, 2026

De Klerk understands his role in the Bulls squad now and knows he won’t start every match with Johan Ackermann targeting both the URC and Champions Cup.

Instead of trying to ‘cement his place’, the former Pumas star has adopted a team-first approach and is embracing getting rotated.

“When I was younger, I probably would’ve wanted to cement my place, but now, I obviously want to play the best I can, and I try and give back a lot.

“When I got here, someone like Willie [Le Roux], Canan [Moodie] and Kurt-Lee Arendse helped me a lot. I really try and invest time into the guys that are coming into the squad and to make them feel part of it.

“I don’t see them as competition necessarily; I try not to make it about myself.”

Despite his humble approach, De Klerk still harbours ambitions of donning the green and gold.

His invitation to the Springbok alignment camp brought him closer to that dream, but the injury disrupted his hopes of potentially making his debut this year.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the 26-year-old is a believer that everything happens for a reason. For now, he remains focused on performing for the Bulls, knowing that a Springbok call-up is not entirely in his hands.

“Definitely, I think every rugby player has that ambition [to play for the Springboks].

“Obviously, I have very big dreams to play for the Boks, but that’s not completely in my control.

“I can only do my best for the Bulls, and I believe if they feel I’m good enough, they will pick me. I think that’s important for me.”

De Klerk also paid tribute to Lions lock Hyron Andrews, who passed away on Friday in France.