Kurt-Lee Arendse believes playing club rugby in Japan helped him bring an even more attack-minded approach to the Springboks.
Arendse has scored 19 tries in 25 Tests, a strike rate that has him installed as one of the Boks’ most lethal attacking threats. Back from a six-month sabbatical in Japan Rugby League One with the Mitsubishi Dynaboars, Arendse says the style of play suited his natural strengths.
“I think it helped me a lot to play in Japan, because the coaches there gave me a lot of freedom,” he said on Wednesday. “In most of the games, I played fullback and that’s something I really enjoyed.
“It almost felt like I was back in sevens again – lots of running rugby, which I love. At the Springboks, there are also a lot of opportunities to play attacking rugby.”
Q&A: Kurt-Lee having a jol in Japan
Arendse, who started the Bok season by scoring a try against the Barbarians and Italy, was a standout for the Blitzboks between 2019 and 2021, including at the Tokyo Olympics, before making his Test debut against Wales in Bloemfontein the following year.
The Bulls star will line up alongside Edwill van der Merwe in the back three to face Georgia this weekend, and welcomed the fierce competition for wing spots in the Bok camp, with players like Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi also in the mix.
“Guys are constantly coming through the system. You see it now with the Junior Boks – they’re putting their hands up. It’s good for our rugby,” said Arendse. “When you get an opportunity to play, you always want to give your best. It’s always special for me to represent my country, no matter who we’re playing against.”
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Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
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