'I am in good company' says Petersen
PROFILE: Sergeal Petersen was just 18 and fresh out of high school when he mesmerised the rugby fraternity playing for the Southern Kings in the newly formed Super Rugby in 2013, scoring two tries and walking away with the man of the match award.
Fast forward 10 years and the utility back has featured for the Cheetahs, Western Province, Stormers and most recently the Shimizu Blue Sharks in Japan, which he joined last year.
But a call from the Bulls’ director of rugby Jake White was enough for the creative back to pack his bags to embark on another new adventure, this time in heat and among the fervent supporters of Pretoria.
Speaking to the media this week after the Bulls’ comprehensive victory over Zebre, Petersen talked about coming to South Africa and finding himself in the Bulls fold.
Asked why he decided to come back , Petersen had this to say: “Just to be in a competitive set-up again and this is going to be very competitive with the depth we have here in the outside back position so this is just another opportunity for me to test myself against the best, with the best and rub shoulders with the best.
“I think I am in good company here where I am so that was one of the biggest factors for me to come back to South Africa and specifically the Bulls,” he explained.
His first outing was a memorable one, especially as the Bulls were the only team in the United Rugby Championship that managed to win away from home last weekend.
“It felt good to be out there again, being in a competitive competition again and also with the team we had on the day.
“The type of rugby we played, a very expansive type of rugby. Something I really like to be a part of. It was just good for me to get my hands on the ball and to create some space for other players outside.
“With the type of players we have here, I think we are playing towards our strengths. We have exciting runners in Willie, Canan and Kurt-Lee still coming back from the Springboks.
“So we just try to play to our strengths and add to our arsenal where we can.
“We all have certain roles that have to be fulfilled within the squad and when they come back it is for us as a squad to feed off their success on the international scene and hopefully they can bring that fire to our squad.
“I know exactly what my role is but I will keep it tight. I am just happy to be here, to contribute where I can, on the field, off the field. Wherever I can add value, that’s the most important thing for me at the moment, to add value where I can.”
No matter where he played, he says he tries to be a coachable player.
“The biggest attribute you should have as a professional player is not to think that you’ve reached the pinnacle of your potential but to keep growing as a player.
“I played a lot of fullback in Japan so I think just the awareness of space and running into those spaces and putting other players into that space more than just being a natural finisher.
“So just adding more aspects to my game. I was really happy with my performance over the weekend, the team did really well, we scored about eight or nine tries, so that's a good day for the attack.”