'Arendse will only get better'
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Bulls assistant coach Chris Rossouw believes the Springbok star Kurt-Lee Arendse will only get better after claiming five individual awards at the franchise’s annual awards ceremony.
Arendse walked away with both the Bulls’ Players Player of the Year and the Fans Player of the Year winner via a majority count of the votes cast through the Bulls App.
He was also crowned as the overall Bulls’Player of the Year for the 2022/23 season.
The utility back also claimed Champions Cup Backline Player of the Year and Champions Cup Player of the Year awards.
Safe to say KLA cleaned up at the @Vodacom Bulls awards last night 🔥
5 in total 🏆 pic.twitter.com/hagqgo6tcb
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) August 9, 2023
Speaking after Arendse cleaned up at the Bulls’ annual awards where he claimed five individual awards, Rossouw was effusive in his praise for a player he believes is a rare talent in the modern game – comparing him to All Black great Christian Cullen.
“Kurt-Lee is exceptional, not only as a rugby talent but as a human being as well,” Rossouw said.
“He’s extremely humble and a very hard worker.
“If I have to compare Kurt-Lee, I’d say he’s in the same range as Christian Cullen was. There are not a lot of players who have Kurt-Lee’s vision and skillset in the game currently. Once he’s in open space he cleans up the defenders.
“His ability to beat players in a small space in unbelievable. For his size, his contact ability is also outstanding – the way he dominates the contact and commands respect. And then you have his aerial skills. I think he is a complete player who will only get better and better.”
Rossouw also revealed how happy he is their paths have crossed at the Bulls.
“When Kurt-Lee was in his final year at school I was at Maties and we wanted to recruit him then.
“We struggled to get him, and then Kurt-Lee was off the scene a bit. I was then coaching the Western Province Under-21s and we wanted to get him in again, and the selectors decided on someone else.
“Then he got into the Sevens system, and maybe those years made him even more humble and hard working. We’re very lucky to have a player of his calibre in the Bulls squad.”
