PRETORIA – Ospreys Rugby on Wednesday announced the signing of Blue Bulls centre Johnny Kotze on a three-month contract.
Kotze signed a short-term deal with the region and will link up with the Ospreys later in October upon completion of his Currie Cup campaign with the Blue Bulls.
He has been described as “one of the most important cogs” at the Bulls following a season where he scored seven tries in 16 Super Rugby appearances.
Capable of playing at inside and outside centre, as well as wing, 25-year old Kotze is 1.85m tall and weights in at 89kg.
Speaking after confirming his move to the Liberty Stadium, Kotze said:
“I am super psyched to join the Ospreys after the 2018 Currie Cup season. The Ospreys have had a great Pro14 season so far and I am looking forward to contributing to the club’s success in any way I can.”
Kotze will join Ospreys upon completion of the Bulls' Currie Cup campaign.Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Born in Carltonville, Kotze will add considerable experience to the Ospreys backline, having come through at Cape Town-based Western Province before getting his first taste of Super Rugby with the Stormers, featuring regularly in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
He then moved to Pretoria where he has played in the Currie Cup for Blue Bulls, this year establishing himself as an influential member of the Bulls’ Super Rugby squad.
Dan Griffiths, Rugby general manager, welcomed Kotze, saying he will have an important role to play over the next three months.
“We are going in to an important period in terms of our aspirations for the season, with international call-ups and injuries impacting, so to have the ability to bring in a player of Johnny’s quality will give everyone a real boost,” said Griffiths. “He is someone who will bring physicality and go forward to the backline, covering multiple positions, and will, I’m sure, prove to be a great asset over a three-month period.
“Developing home grown talent remains a priority for us, as it should be, and we are proud to have an average of 21 Welsh qualified players in our match-day squad this season, but we recognise that adding in the right non-Welsh qualified talent can help us achieve our performance targets.”