[7] Herbst returned to domestic action in South Africa by making twelve appearances for the Blue Bulls U21 team in the 2013 Under-21 Provincial Championship.

[9] He played in the 2014 Varsity Cup competition for Pretoria-based university side UP Tuks, making four appearances, and then made a further eleven starts for the Blue Bulls U21s in the 2013 edition of the Under-21 Provincial Championship.

He was also named in a Varsity Cup Dream Team at the conclusion of the tournament and played in their match against the South Africa Under-20 squad as they prepared for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.

[12] He made his return in 2016, making his domestic first class debut in the Blue Bulls defeat to Western Province in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series.

The referees representative body for the RFU was forced to apologise following a complaint from Bath Head Coach Johann van Graan.