The Bulls have signed Kwagga Smith on a three-year contract, bringing the 33-year-old loose forward back to South African domestic rugby after eight years with Yamaha Júbilo — now the Shizuoka Blue Revs — in Japan.
Smith, a veteran of more than 60 Tests, was part of both the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup-winning squads and has also collected Rugby Championship titles in 2019, 2024 and 2025, as well as a series win over the British & Irish Lions in 2021. Before establishing himself in the 15-man game, he won Commonwealth Games gold with the Blitzboks in Glasgow in 2014 and an Olympic bronze medal in Rio in 2016.
His return to South African club rugby is complicated by a serious knee injury — a torn ACL and meniscus sustained in May 2026 while playing for the Blue Revs — that ended his season. He has since been cleared to return to play at the end of December, and told the Bulls he is already jogging and tracking well with his recovery, with a target of being available in early 2027.
Bulls coach Johan Ackermann previously worked with Smith at the Lions, where Smith was part of the 2015 Currie Cup-winning side. "He's a team man who has grown into a stalwart, and it's been a privilege to watch his career unfold and establish himself as one of the best backrows in world rugby," Ackermann said.
Smith noted that his wife is due to give birth in January, adding a personal dimension to the timing of the move. "Playing under Johan Ackermann was one of my best experiences. I'm looking forward to getting back by early next year," he said.
Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone said Smith's work rate, physicality and proven winning mentality were the key drivers behind the signing.