Jake White leaves Bulls ‘by mutual agreement’
Jake White’s stint as coach of the Bulls has come to an end.
White, who held the title of director of rugby, and the Pretoria outfit mutually agreed to part ways following what has been described as a “thorough end-of-season review”.
The former Springbok coach, who arrived at Loftus Versfeld in 2020, led the Bulls to three United Rugby Championship finals and achieved knockout appearances in both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.
White’s final game in charge was the 32-7 loss to Leinster in the United Rugby Championship final at Croke Park in Dublin.
It was recently reported that senior players and White's assistant coaches expressed dissatisfaction with White’s actions.
In a statement on Friday, Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone acknowledged White's significant contributions:
“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 thanked White for his openness and contributions, especially at the grassroots level.
“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 the 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.”
