Bulls sign Jan Uys from Top 14 club Brive

The Blue Bulls have confirmed the signing of 26-year-old lock forward Jan Uys from French Top 14 club CA Brive who will join the Bulls as of 1 July.

Uys spent the last few seasons with CA Brive after an initial six months with fellow Top 14 outfit Pau. It did not take him long to carve out a reputation as powerful ball carrier in the unforgiving environment that is French rugby, but what sets him apart is his ball-handling ability, an attribute usually more associated with loose forwards and backs. 

The 1.99m and 120kg behemoth made his first-class debut in the 2014 instalment of Vodacom Cup in the colours of Western Province after representing the union at U21 and U19 level. He also contributed to UCT's cause in the 2014 Varsity Cup where the Ikeys clinched the final in the most dramatic fashion.

The former Paul Roos Gimnasium scholar spent a season with the Eastern Province Kings in 2015 where he captained the U21 team on occasion before leaving for France.

The Buls can expect hard hits and tons of grunt in the tight phases from Uys, with his inclusion set to bolster the Vodacom Bulls lock stocks as Director of Rugby, Jake White, adds more firepower to a squad bursting in talent.