Hanro Liebenberg has explained his return to the Vodacom Bulls after seven years with the Leicester Tigers.
The 30-year-old loose forward, who represented the Junior Boks in 2015, played senior rugby for the Bulls from 2015 to 2019 before joining Leicester.
Having made almost 150 appearances for English Premiership club, Liebenberg is set to return to Pretoria as part of a growing trend of South African players heading home after stints overseas.
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“I can’t put my finger on exactly why so many South Africans return,” he told Rapport. “I think as you get older, it’s always nice to come back home, play for your home union and be among your people and family.
“I’m looking forward to raising my children in South Africa and having that support system around us.
“It will also be nice to play for a South African team against overseas sides in the URC and Champions Cup for a change.
“I was in England for seven years and really enjoyed my time there. But the plan was always to come back to South Africa one day – it’s home for us.”
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Liebenberg added that he has been encouraged by the Bulls’ recent progress.
“I’ve been watching from afar and you can see something is happening at the Bulls,” he said. “It will be nice to be part of that.”
Photo: Naomi Baker/Getty Images
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