Bulls pursue Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx for Loftus Versfeld return after Japan stint

The Bulls are pursuing Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx for a return to South African rugby, with head coach Johan Ackermann understood to have sounded out the 32-year-old about a move to Loftus Versfeld once his contract with Japan League One club Kubota Spears expires next June.

South African publication Rapport reports that formal talks have yet to take place, and that Marx has only been approached at an exploratory stage. Any deal could prove complicated — and costly — because Kubota Spears are keen to retain the hooker, who has scored 33 tries in 58 appearances for the Tokyo-based club.

Marx has spent six years in Japan, initially joining Urayasu D-Rocks before moving to Kubota Spears a year later. He holds 89 Test caps for the Springboks and was part of Rassie Erasmus’ squad that won back-to-back Rugby World Cups, though a knee injury sustained in training restricted him to just 51 minutes of action during the 2023 tournament in France.

The connection between Marx and Ackermann runs deep. It was Ackermann, then coach of the Lions, who handed Marx his Super Rugby debut against the Crusaders at Ellis Park in April 2014. The Bulls boss is now eager to reunite with the reigning World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year.

Ackermann’s interest is also driven by a pressing need to strengthen his front row. Junior Bok hooker Esethu Mnebelele is set to leave the Bulls for United Rugby Championship rivals the Sharks later this year, leaving a gap in the squad’s middle of the scrum.

Should Marx make the move, he would compete for the starting jersey with Johan Grobbelaar, Juann Else and Juandré Schoeman — adding significant depth and experience to a Bulls side that remains one of South Africa’s most ambitious clubs. The timing of any potential deal is likely to hinge on the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, which concludes shortly before Marx’s contract is due to run out.