Vodacom Bulls president Willem Strauss has urged stakeholders to get behind Jake White and his coaching team following a run of 10 consecutive losses in all competitions.
The last-16 exit away to Toulouse marked the 10th consecutive loss for the Vodacom Bulls across the Champions Cup, Vodacom United Rugby Championship and Currie Cup.
That loss in Toulouse came in the same weekend that a Vodacom Bulls side featuring a plethora of seniors suffered a humiliating defeat to newly-promoted Premier Division side Griffons in Welkom.
As the Pretoria side now bids to bounce back in the Currie Cup clash against last season’s finalists Griquas at Loftus Versfeld on Friday, Blue Bulls Rugby Union president Strauss reportedly sent a WhatsApp broadcast message on Tuesday, backing director of rugby White to get the team back on the winning road.
“When we started this journey five years ago, the Bulls were in complete disarray at every single level (finances as well), and in 10 years before, only managed to win four (junior, no senior) titles,” Strauss was quoted by IOL Sport.
“We started from a LOW basis, turned it around and our junior, club, women, development, etc, programmes became the best in SA – some of them amongst the best in the world.
“Finances were sorted out. In came Jake and immediate success followed, with nine titles (six junior, three senior) in just three years. Now we need to turn things around (only at senior pro level), but this time, we start from a HIGH basis.
“Mistakes were made, identified and will be corrected. There were also a number of unfortunate happenings, like Jake becoming ill, losing Marcell (Coetzee), losing six matches with a single score, etc.
“The [Currie Cup] losses against the Pumas and Griffons however were horrible and inexcusable.
“But we now need to get behind our team and coaches. We might just cause a few surprises yet.
“Being critical is justified, but not when it’s personal and vindictive. I’m sure all of us have experienced setbacks in life… it’s how you bounce back that’s important.
“Being challenged in life is inevitable; being defeated is optional.”
Following the 5pm Currie Cup match on Friday, the Vodacom Bulls have two more home games to secure their place in the Vodacom URC playoffs.
The Vodacom Bulls host Zebre on 15 April as part of a double-header at Ellis Park and then take on Leinster at Loftus Versfeld a week later.
Currently in seventh place, the Vodacom Bulls are just five points clear of the 11th-placed Lions, who face Leinster and then Zebre in their final two round-robin fixtures.
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/INPHO/Shutterstock/BackpagePix