Jake White leaves Bulls with immediate effect

Jake White and the Bulls have mutually agreed to part ways following an end of season review.

The decision has been reached after the Bulls fell short in the United Rugby Championship final last month to Leinster, their second final loss in a row and third in four years.

Despite ultimately being unsuccessful in his pursuit of a URC title, the former South Africa head coach did collect some silverware during his five-year stint in Pretoria, winning Super Rugby Unlocked in 2020 and the Currie Cup the year later.

In a statement released by the Bulls, White said: “I have made the decision to move on. With many years’ coaching experience, I felt it would be difficult to get the squad to perform to the next level. Therefore, in the best interest of both myself and the Bulls I feel it’s time for a new chapter. It’s time for this group to have a new voice.

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“I have enjoyed my time in Pretoria. I met some wonderful friends. I believe that rugby is like life – you win some you lose some. You learn as you grow. You need to be strong and courageous and, most importantly, it isn’t always fair.

“I would like to thank all the loyal supporters, the Bulls staff that worked tirelessly, and to the players for their hard work and dedication. I wish BBRU president Willem Strauss and the amateur game lots of success in the future.

“To the shareholders, I will always be grateful for all the support and financial backing they gave, far and beyond any other club. Thank you for the privilege. To the Board for their support and CEO, Edgar Rathbone, coaches and management, it was great to be part of this winning culture. To be part of Bulls rugby history has been an absolute honour. I wish Bulls rugby all the best.”

Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone said: “Jake has tremendous rugby IP, and that has been visible in the way he was able to transfer it into our structures and as a club we remain grateful for those contributions made during his tenure.

“He did amazing work here and it was a privilege to work with him as he helped our team become a superpower again. He has given us a great platform to build upon with a talented crop of young players who are just finding their true offering.

“He also helped the bigger playing group develop, with 10 emerging to play for the Springboks. This encouraging growth also ensured we were often in the mix for silverware.”

Club president Willem Strauss added: “On behalf of the club, the supporters, the staff and all our shareholders, I would like to thank Jake for the work he has done, the love and passion he has shown to our players, people and community during his time with us.

“His leadership has left a fantastic mark on our club, and the way he fought to get us up when we needed it the most will make him a hero of ours for a long time to come. He leaves the club in a better place than when he arrived.

“During his rugby directorship, he helped elevate our grassroots game in the manner that he devised our integration strategy between the high-performance environment and our club ecosystem.”