VIDEO: Watch as Bulls prop talks touring in the URC, Boks
PROFILE: Bulls and Springbok prop Gerhard Steenekamp admits travelling and playing away from home is not easy while the weather in the Northern Hemisphere is something South Africans can struggle with while playing in the United Rugby Championship.
The Bulls was the only team to win away from home this past weekend and Steenekamp was asked to explain how tough it is for a team to be on the road and still record wins.
Steenekamp, speaking from Wales where the Bulls are preparing for their game against Cardiff on Friday, said for him it was being away from family and friends while the weather also plays a role.
“If anyone knew that answer it would make it much easier, then we can easily fix it. But I think for me personally it’s being away from home, away from your family, your wife and kids,” Steenekamp told Rugby365.
“Then the climate, in South Africa we are in mid-summer, this side you are in mid-winter.
“But I think we have grown a lot as a group. This is part of our job, you are not always going to play at home. And I think this competition, away wins are what will win you the competition.”
Steenekamp, who has been with the Bulls since finishing school at Potchefstroom Gimnasium, has spent the majority of his playing career in Pretoria.
(Continue below...)
As part of the Blue Bulls, he made valuable contributions to their under-19 team. In 2017, he was rewarded with a place in the Bulls’ wider training squad for the Super Rugby competition. His dedication and hard work paid off when he was also selected for the South Africa Under-20 national team for the Under-20 World Championship.
Steenekamp’s journey continued in August 2017 when he signed a deal that extended his stay in Pretoria, ensuring his presence with the Bulls until at least 2019. This signified the confidence and belief the team had in his abilities, recognizing his potential as a prop.
Earlier in the year he was drafted to the Springboks making his debut against Argentina at Ellis Park and the front forward said that experience has just motivated him to work even harder.
“It meant a lot, I don’t know how I can put it into words. Just to see what you are doing is the right thing, just keep on doing that and keep working harder. You are on their radar and all I can do now is do the best for my union and hopefully I can get another shot.
“It just shows that hard work pays off. If you just keep working hard, you will be recognised.
“The main thing is, if we do well as a union and I give my best for my team, it is easier for them to see us, meaning the Springbok selectors and coaches.
“All that changed for me, is to give even more to my union and to work even harder to get back there.
“It was a small bite of a very tasty thing, so definitely to keep on working harder and do it even better every week.
Asked what has kept him at the Bulls for all of his senior career, he said: “Definitely the culture at the Bulls is extraordinary for me personally. I love Pretoria. It’s close to my hometown where I grew up, it’s close to the farm, it’s nice and central for me and I like the weather.
“And to be part of such an amazing union with such a rich history, that will still be the biggest reason I stay there. To be part of something bigger than you, I mean the Bulls have been around for a long time and they will be there long after me.
“For me just to play for them as much as I can is a very big privilege.
