Vodacom Bulls president Willem Strauss says it is wrong and too simplistic to “single out” Jake White for the Pretoria outfit’s disappointing 2022-23 season.
Last week’s heavy defeat for the Bulls against the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup semi-finals closed out a forgettable campaign for The Herd.
That loss in Bloemfontein ended their last attempt at silverware, after exiting in the round of 16 and quarter-finals of the Champions Cup and Vodacom URC, respectively.
White, as director of rugby, has borne the brunt of the criticism for the Bulls’ performance that included a run of 10 consecutive losses in all competitions. Now, Strauss has issued a statement that he shouldn’t be copping all the flak.
“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,” Strauss said.
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“At the Bulls we believe in collective ownership and accountability. We win together, and we lose together.”
He believes that this season was a “steep learning curve in terms of squad management, travel arrangements, availability of Springboks, conditioning programmes, fitness, and skill levels”.
Strauss added: “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.”
He also understands that the Bulls’ supporters are “angry, disappointed, and disillusioned”, but highlighted: “Since the dawn of the new BBRU [Blue Bulls Rugby Union] administration in 2019 and Jake joining us in 2020, the Bulls have won 60% of all national competitions.
“During this period, the BBRU’s programs 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.
“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.”
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