Jake White not to blame for Bulls problems

Blue Bulls Rugby Union (BBRU) president Willem Strauss has insisted that veteran coach Jake White should not be hammered for a disappointing season for the South African outfit and told critics “the Bulls will be back!”

The Bulls season ended with a 39-10 Currie Cup semi-final loss to the Cheetahs while they left the United Rugby Championship at the quarter-final stage beaten 33-21 by the Stormers in Cape Town and lost 33-9 away to Toulouse in the Champions Cup round of 16."I am not shying away from the unfortunate truth that the senior team has had a very disappointing season, but to single out the head coach with often harsh criticism is not only counter-productive, but the easy way out," said Strauss in a statement from the Bulls.

"At the Bulls we believe in collective ownership and accountability. We win together, and we lose together.

"How taxing 2023 has been on body and mind is evident from the fact that the first year in which the four SA URC provinces participated in three different competitions, none of them managed to win a single title! That is no coincidence."

"Since the dawn of the new BBRU administration in 2019 and Jake joining us in 2020, the Bulls have won 60% of all national competitions. During this period, the BBRU's programmes for club rugby, junior rugby, mini-rugby, Get-into-Rugby, etc. excelled to such an extent that they are now rated as amongst the best in the world.

"Our structures are still aligned with great shareholders, leadership and ambition. The Bulls will be back!

"To put our performance record in perspective, it must be noted that between 2011 and 2018 the Bulls took part in 42 competitions winning only four junior and no senior titles."

Under White, the Bulls won the Currie Cup in 2020 and 2021 and they also won the 2020 Super Rugby Unlocked event.