In a classic piece of transfer-window counter-rucking the Bulls have poached popular winger Dylan Maart under the noses from the Stormers.
With Springbok flyer Kurt-Lee Arendse set to swap the Highveld for Japan later this year, the Vodacom Bulls have wasted no time plugging the gap on the wing.
According to Rapport, Bulls boss Johan Ackermann has moved decisively to secure the services of the electric Dylan Maart, effectively snatching the in-form speedster from the Cape franchise.
Maart, currently on loan at the Stormers from Griquas through a development agreement, will return to the Peacock Blues for this year’s Currie Cup before heading north to Pretoria. The 29-year-old Wellington product has been one of the revelations of the Stormers’ campaign, leaving defenders clutching at thin air in both the United Rugby Championship and the Investec Champions Cup.
So influential has Maart been that Stormers director of rugby John Dobson admitted earlier this season he would like to keep the winger in Cape Town on a permanent basis.
But Ackermann, it seems, has won the territorial battle.
Maart has been playing under Griquas coach Pieter Bergh since 2024, sharpening his attacking instincts and defensive steel. Now he faces the daunting assignment of filling the boots of Arendse – a player whose sidestep can unhinge a defensive line like a loose scrum binding.
Arendse, who joined the Bulls in 2020, will see his contract conclude in June before taking up a new challenge with Japanese outfit Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars. His departure leaves more than just space on the team sheet; it leaves expectation.
For Maart, Loftus Versfeld will be both proving ground and launchpad. Maart offers sharp finishing, positional awareness and a hunger to score tries.
In further backline reinforcement, Sharks utility back Hakeem Kunene is also reportedly set to make the move to Pretoria later this year, adding versatility to Ackermann’s evolving backline blueprint.
