Joggie wants his Bok jersey back
February 1, 2001

Former Wellington Hurricanes scrumhalf Joggie Viljoen has returned to South Africa with only one thing in mind: to win back his Bok jersey.

Viljoen, who this week signed a one-year contract with the Eagles, returned from New Zealand after an 18-month stint where he plied his trade with Wellington's during their successful NPC campaign.

Now he is back in South Africa and wants nothing more than to win back the Bok jersey he last wore in 1996. He'll have a chance to show how far he has come on Friday when the Stormers face the Eagles in a warm-up match in George.

"I came back to South Africa with a goal and that is to play for the Boks again," he told the Cape Times. "In the short-term, it's getting into the Super 12 squad. Solly told me that I'll get 40 minutes this Friday, so it's in my hands. Although Dan and Neil were named in the initial 30-man squad, the final group will only be named after our warm-up matches, so I'm in with a chance," he said.

But he will face some stiff competition from current Stormers No 9 Dan van Zyl, who also toured with the Boks on their recently completed year-end tour to Argentina and the UK. But Viljoen doesn't seem too perturbed by the challenge. "All I want is a fair crack.

"I've come back with a goal and I think I can achieve something here. I've also got time on my side. I'm only 24 and there may be a bit of a void at scrumhalf in South Africa, with Joost van der Westhuizen nearing the end of his career and Johan Roux also having retired," he said.

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