Following Jake White’s statement on Kurt-Lee Arendse’s unavailability for the Vodacom Bulls, the Mitsubishi Dynaboars announced the winger won’t return to the Japanese club next season.
RugbyJP.com reports that the League One outfit and Arendse will part ways at the end of the regular season. The Springbok flyer has scored seven tries in 12 appearances since joining the club on a sabbatical deal in November.
#BREAKING Kurt-Lee Arendse WILL be leaving Mitsubishi Dynaboars this summer and not returning next season, the club has just announced#rugbyjp pic.twitter.com/6x81CPJEDD
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RugbyJP.com (@rugbyjpcom) May 9, 2025
During a Bulls conference on Friday, White said it’s a “very bad thing” that Arendse is playing in Japan and not for the Bulls at the business end of the campaign.
FROM THE MAG: Kurt-Lee having a jol in Japan
The World Cup winner made four appearances in the URC last October before linking up with the Dynaboars following his Test commitments with the Boks.
The Bulls had hoped he would return to Pretoria in time for the URC playoffs, but White has confirmed that Arendse had missed the cut-off date.
He is believed to have attracted major interest from clubs in the Far East due to his top form for the Dynaboars, with several teams reportedly prepared to pay hefty transfer fees to buy the 28-year-old out of his current Bulls deal, which runs until mid-2026.
Speaking to Rapport in April, CEO Edgar Rathbone poured cold water on speculation that Arendse wants to leave Loftus early for a permanent move to Japan, and is adamant that the 24-Test flyer remains part of the Bulls’ long-term plans.
Photo: Japan Rugby League One
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