In a league where rotation is treated like gospel, one title-winning scrumhalf has decided he’s had enough. Paul de Wet, a core part of the Stormers’ 2021–22 URC triumph, is heading north to the Bulls on a reported two-year deal, convinced Pretoria is the right place to reboot his Springbok hopes.
He’s 29, he’s won major games, and he’s blunt about why he’s moving. The constant shuffle at the Stormers never let him build rhythm. He told Netwerk24 the chopping and changing across the No 9s stalled momentum: when your minutes are unpredictable, your form tends to be, too. For a scrumhalf, rhythm is everything—timing at the base, speed to the ruck, the trust with your flyhalf. Lose that through stop-start selections and you struggle to look like a Test player.
Why the Stormers stalwart is walking away
Stormers fans know the script. The Cape side have had a strong stable of nines for years, with De Wet battling Herschel Jantjies and Stefan Ungerer for the shirt. That competition sharpened standards, but it also spread game time thin. De Wet’s first national alignment camp call-up in March hinted he was edging onto the radar. Then the pathway felt blocked again. He didn’t slam the door on Cape Town—he just said the ladder to the Springboks wasn’t standing in that dressing room anymore.
Rotation has its logic in the URC. South African teams juggle long-haul travel, player welfare plans, and union guidance around managing Springbok contenders. Coaches want depth ready for knockouts. But the same system can hurt players trying to make a late charge for national selection. If you’re seen as one of three equally good options, you might end up as none of them in the eyes of selectors who reward week-after-week control and presence.
De Wet’s take is pragmatic. He’s not expecting a red carpet at Loftus. He knows he’ll have to win the jersey, not inherit it. The draw is the chance—plain and simple—to stake a claim with a long run of starts if he earns them. At this stage of his career, that matters more than anything.
There’s also the style shift. The Bulls are built around power, speed off the floor, and turning altitude into a weapon. Quick ruck ball can make a scrumhalf look electric; slow breakdowns can make him look average. If Pretoria’s ball-carrying pack generates tempo, a nine with sharp service and game management can run matches. That picture appeals to De Wet because it puts the game in his hands, not just at his feet.
Still, he’s stepping into a crowded room. Embrose Papier brings Test caps and gas in broken play. Zak Burger has a big engine and a competitive edge. Keagan Johannes offers spark and growth. That’s not a queue; it’s a contest. But De Wet has walked into that sort of firing line before and come out with medals. If he nails timing with the Bulls’ flyhalves and settles the pack around his voice, he’ll be in the conversation every week.
The Bulls bet, and what it means for the Springbok picture
The international landscape at scrumhalf is brutal. South Africa has options, and selectors like two things above all: consistent minutes and control under pressure. De Wet’s alignment camp invite was a nudge—he’s close enough to be watched, but not close enough to wait. The move says he’d rather put himself under the spotlight than share the glow in Cape Town. If he strings together a run of starts and the Bulls reach the business end of the URC, that’s the tape national coaches tend to queue up.
Contractually, the timing makes sense. A two-year deal gives enough runway for a full season bedding in, then a push. At 29, he’s not “next” anymore; he’s “now”. Scrumhalves often peak later than other backs because decision-making and composure deepen with games. But the window for a debut or a recall doesn’t stay open forever. He’s making his play while he still controls the clock.
There’s also the visibility factor. Staying in South Africa matters if you want a green jersey. URC derbies are high-stakes auditions. Coaches can compare like-for-like performances: Bulls vs Stormers, Bulls vs Sharks, Bulls vs Lions. Those matches set pecking orders as much as European away days do. Win your local head-to-head, and you usually jump a rung.
The Bulls staff will want three things from him fast: clean delivery across all weather, a reliable exit game under pressure, and leadership at the base. If he can speed up their tempo without raising error rates, he’ll make the bench at worst, and likely start. His experience in playoff rugby is a plus—they’re not signing potential; they’re signing know-how.
What about the Stormers? They’re used to this. If one senior nine leaves, another steps forward, and a younger option gets time. The system in Cape Town has survived departures because it produces structure first and relies on individuals second. That’s part of why De Wet felt boxed in: it’s a machine that keeps running. From their side, backing Jantjies, Ungerer, and emerging talent makes strategic sense. From his side, the trade-off—security for opportunity—was no longer worth it.
For the URC as a whole, this is another sign that inter-franchise moves inside South Africa are normal now. Players don’t need to go overseas to reset their careers; they can cross the Vaal or the Hex River and change their trajectory. The rivalry adds spice, sure, but it also creates a thicker middle class of players who’ve proven they can adapt to different systems. That’s good for the league and, ironically, good for the Springboks too.
There are practical hurdles ahead. New playbook, new calls, new combinations. Halfback partnerships take time. The Bulls’ pack has its own rhythms at the cleanout and maul. The back three run different lines off contestable kicks. A scrumhalf is the translator for all of that. If De Wet earns early starts and the Bulls commit to a consistent nine-ten axis, the bedding-in curve shortens.
So what decides whether this gamble pays off? A few simple markers usually tell the story:
- Availability: staying fit and fresh through the travel grind.
- Clarity: picking the right options in exit and attack—no soft turnovers, no panic kicks.
- Control: dictating tempo late in games when the lungs burn and decisions get fuzzy.
- Moments: winning the key derby battles that selectors remember in selection meetings.
He’s not promising headlines. He’s promising a shot. That honesty landed with supporters because it sounds like a guy betting on himself, not blaming anyone. The Stormers didn’t wrong him; their structure just didn’t suit his next step. The Bulls aren’t rescuing him; they’re offering a runway. The Springboks aren’t waiting; they’re watching.
Plenty of moves look tidy on paper and messy on grass. This one has a workable logic. De Wet gets a chance to chase rhythm and minutes. The Bulls get a seasoned operator who knows what it takes to finish seasons, not just start them. And the league gets another storyline that makes every derby a little spikier than the last.
He said it himself: no one hands you a No 9 jersey. You take it, keep it, and make it impossible to take away. Pretoria will show if he can do that. If he does, the national picture changes fast for a player who has hovered on the edge of it for too long.
