Wilco Louw became the Vodacom Bulls’ scrum king after returning to South Africa.
On Friday night, the Springbok tighthead prop will pack down for the Vodacom Bulls in the URC final against Leinster at Croke Park in Dublin.
The 31-year-old, who is a key cog in the Bulls’ set-piece machinery, will return to the Stormers next season.
The tighthead is also likely to feature prominently for the Springboks during a demanding international season which includes the new Nations Championship and the Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks.
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It is a remarkable turnaround for a player who, not so long ago, appeared to have fallen out of the national picture.
Louw made his Springbok debut against New Zealand in 2017, but despite featuring in the final Test before the 2019 World Cup, he missed out on Rassie Erasmus’ title-winning squad.
He then departed for England to join Harlequins where he won the Premiership in his first season.
Despite this success, Louw earned just a single Test cap between 2020 and 2023 and was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Springboks won a British & Irish Lions series and another World Cup.
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Louw returned to South Africa in July 2023 after signing with the Bulls and has become one of the most dominant and consistent scrummagers in the URC.
He was recalled to the Bok team for a November 2024 victory over England at Twickenham and has not looked back since.
Louw is now one of the cornerstones in the Springbok side which has set its sights on a hat-trick of World Cup titles in Australia in 2027.
Before then, though, Louw and the rest of the Bulls pack will be looking to dominate the Leinster pack to lay the platform for a maiden URC title.
Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
The post Friday Night Lights: The prop who rebuilt his career appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Wilco Louw became the Vodacom Bulls’ scrum king after returning to South Africa.
The post Friday Night Lights: The prop who rebuilt his career appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
