PUMA caught up with Springbok star Duane Vermeulen to talk about his proudest achievements, playing for Ulster and campervanning.

What are your proudest achievements?

My proudest achievement is being selected to represent my country and everything after that was a bonus.

What do you love about your position?

Being able to connect between the forwards and the backs and carrying the ball from the back of the scrum. You must be an all-round baller – carry, breakdown, tackle. So, you must work hard on every single aspect.

What boots do you play in?

PUMA Future boots. It’s a good balance between a forward and a back’s boot.

What attracted you to partner with the PUMA?

Their boots. Our partnership started more than 10 years ago, and it has been an easy fit for me.

You have achieved so much on the rugby pitch; how do you stay motivated?

It takes dedication and hard work to stay at a high level, but I would say it is all about your mindset and what drives you. I love a challenge and to prove to myself that I can be better every single time I run out on the field.

You are active on social media, what content do you like to share?

My experiences and travels with people. And what we do as a family.

Tell us about playing for Ulster?

I really enjoyed playing for Ulster, getting to understand the culture because when you do that you get to understand the people and why they do the things the way they do. On the field was also good as I enjoyed playing with different internationals to see how they approach a game.

Highlights of your family campervan trip across Ireland?

It was amazing. Ireland is a beautiful country to visit and explore and I would recommend it to anyone. PS: make sure you go in the summertime.