Olivier signs for Black Rams
by Brenden Nel 10 July 2012, 15:42
Springbok midfielder Wynand Olivier has confirmed he will be joining Japanese club Ricoh Black Rams at the end of the current Vodacom Super Rugby season.
Olivier, who has signed a six-month contract with the club, will rejoin the Bulls in 2013 for next year’s Super Rugby tournament, and will continue to play at the franchise until his contract expires after the 2013 Super Rugby season.
The blond midfielder, who recently celebrated a milestone 100 Super Rugby games, is the most experienced South African midfielder in the tournament and also was a part of the Springbok team that beat England in the recent June test series.
Olivier will return to the Rams at the end of the 2013 Super Rugby season, when his contract with the Blue Bulls runs out.
“We have decided to release Wynand from his Currie Cup duties for this period and allow him to play for the Black Rams in their Top League and Japanese Cup competitions. We believe this is a win-win situation for Wynand, the Bulls and the Rams,” Barend van Graan, CEO of the BBC said.
“Wynand has been a very loyal servant to the Bulls and Blue Bulls and has played in all our teams since school. We were happy to accommodate his request for a release as we appreciate his commitment to the Bulls over many years of service.”
The Bulls currently have a lot of good midfielders, including youngsters JJ Engelbrecht, Johan Sadie and Francois Venter, as well as SA under-20 stars William Small-Smith, IRB Junior Player of the year Jan Serfontein and Dries Swanepoel.
