Winless Bulls Blood 29th Debutant in Currie Cup 2026

Six matches played. Six losses. Twenty-nine debutants and counting. The Bulls XV head into the final round of the Currie Cup 2026 league stage rooted to the bottom of the log, and coach Phiwe Nomlomo is still finding ways to make history — just not the kind anyone in Pretoria had in mind.

Former Junior Bok flyhalf Ian van der Merwe will earn his Bulls debut at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Friday night when the Bulls XV face the Sharks XV, becoming the 28th debutant of a campaign that has been as much a development exercise as a competitive one. Rookie winger Ruan Enslin joins him in the starting lineup, taking that number to 29 across the full campaign. Van der Merwe, who made two appearances for the SA Under-20s at last year's Junior World Championship, lines up at ten in a match 23 that carries an average age of just 21.5 years. Nomlomo has named 13 players in his squad who are still eligible for Under-21 rugby. That tells you everything about where this Bulls XV campaign sits in the bigger picture.

Nomlomo Acknowledges Reality of Rebuilding Phase

Nomlomo is not running from the reality. "We aren't in the business of making excuses, and we know what the results look like," he said. "The reality is we've blooded a massive amount of young talent under tough conditions, but when we step out onto the field in Durban, our mindset doesn't change. We are giving it our absolute best shot, we are going there to win, and we expect every guy wearing the jersey to fight for the result from the first minute to the last."

Those are the right words. Whether a group this young and inexperienced can back them up against a Sharks side that, despite a mixed campaign of their own, carries significantly more firepower at Kings Park is another question entirely. The Bulls' last five results tell a brutal story — losses to the Stormers XXIII (26-50), Cheetahs (52-62), New Zealand (19-50), Pumas (31-33) and Lions (19-42) — and yet there is genuine long-term value buried in this pain if the union has the patience to nurture what they have uncovered.

Bulls XV Team Lineup for Kings Park

The Bulls XV line up as follows: 15 Aka Boqwana, 14 Ruan Enslin, 13 Marnus Rademeyer, 12 Christiaan Vlok, 11 Riyaad Bam, 10 Ian van der Merwe, 9 Keagan Johannes, 8 Chinedu Amadi, 7 Cephas van Biljon, 6 Kebotile Maake, 5 Heinrich Theron, 4 Johnathan Eloff, 3 Arno Gustafson, 2 Siphosethu Mnebelele, 1 Sandi Msengana. Bench: 16 Jaundré Schoeman, 17 Damian Baker, 18 Duwan Potgieter, 19 Jacques Swarts, 20 Abongile Nonkontwana, 21 Dieter Schubert, 22 Brooklyn Newman, 23 Lavela Pongolo.

Friday night at Kings Park kicks off at 19:15 SAST. For this Bulls XV, it is less about the standings and more about sending 29 young men home with something they can build on. The full Currie Cup table and what it means for the playoff picture can be tracked on our Currie Cup hub.