Reinhardt Ludwig contract extension keeps young lock at the Bulls until 2030

The Bulls have committed to one of their own for the long haul. Reinhardt Ludwig has signed an extension that keeps him at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria until 2030, The South African reported.

At 24, Ludwig is a product of the franchise's development system. He made his Bulls debut in 2021 and has not played for anyone else in his professional career. The Pretoria side now count him as a key part of their long-term plans.

Blue Bulls Company CEO Edgar Rathbone described keeping the lock as an important step in the franchise's planning. "Reinhardt is exactly the kind of player we want to build this team around," he said.

Ludwig said the backing mattered to him. "It means a lot that the coaches and the management have shown their trust and belief in me," he said.

His path to Loftus began at Afrikaanse Seuns Hoërskool (Affies), where he was head boy and captained the First XV. He went on to play for the South Africa Under-20 side in 2021 and 2022.

The new deal does not guarantee the 1.99m, 111kg forward a place in the side. The Bulls are well stocked in the second row, and Ludwig is still competing for a regular starting place. The extension gives him the time to make that case.