De Bruin returned to action in 2014, making his first class debut by starting the Blue Bulls' 24–26 defeat to Griquas in their first match in the 2014 Vodacom Cup.
[6] He also started their matches against the Pumas[7] and the Griffons[8] during the regular season to help the Blue Bulls finish in third spot in the Northern Section to qualify for the quarter-finals.
He didn't feature in their 22–21 victory over a Free State XV in their quarter final,[9] but he did start their semi-final match against trans-Jukskei rivals the Golden Lions, where a 15–16 defeat saw them eliminated from the competition.
[11] He didn't feature in the latter stages of the competition, which was eventually won by the Blue Bulls after they beat Western Province U21 20–10 in the final.
Shortly after the conclusion of this tournament, he became involved in first class rugby again, linking up with the Sharks XV squad that played in the 2015 Vodacom Cup competition.