Waratahs cult hero Jacques Potgieter rebuffed an approach to make an early defection back to his old South African franchise the Bulls this year.

The three-Test Springbok is under contract with the Waratahs until the end of next season but, according to South African sports site supersport.co.za, the Bulls were struck down with a bad case of seller's remorse and tried to lure back the hulking second-rower halfway through the term of his Australian deal.

Staying with the Tahs ... Jacques Potgieter celebrates scoring a try against the Highlanders.

The 28-year-old told SuperSport he "missed South Africa but I have another year in Sydney to complete", while his agent, Gert van der Merwe, said the Australian dollar's relative power over the South African rand had made the Waratahs his home – for now.

"He certainly was looking to come back, but the deal he was offered was a good one, and it was hard to refuse," Van der Merwe said.