Vodacom Bulls loose forward Marcell Coetzee and fellow Springbok and lock Ruan Nortje will share the responsibility of leading The Herd next season.
Jake White on Tuesday confirmed Coetzee and Nortje as co-captains for the 2023-24 campaign, and speaking about his appointments, the director of rugby said: “Marcell and Ruan are experienced campaigners who understand the demands of playing in three competitions and they have done well in leading us over the last few seasons.
“Ruan stepped up last season when Marcell took his sabbatical and when he returned, the two of them continued to collaborate until the end of the season.
“Fortunately for me, this was an easy decision to make because Marcell and Ruan truly embody what it means to be a Bulls player. They have tirelessly continued to serve our franchise with humility and hard work, upholding the values and virtues of our community.
“I know they will do well because they are also surrounded by a strong leadership group which they have been leaning on as well.”
PLUS: Euro cups get qualification shake-up
White elaborates that the appointment of two leaders is an opportunity to manage player load as well as reinforce a thriving leadership environment within the team.
“We are fortunate to also have a healthy base of players with quality traits and are emerging as leaders too, which is great for our future prospects,” he added.
“Shared captaincy is an opportunity for us to balance the weight of responsibility on match days and extend how we are able to create depth in range for the whole group because they naturally bring unique dynamics through their leadership qualities,”
“They have been co-leading this side already, sharing their ideas and views and I really think that the both of them will be a strong captaincy duo for us. Congratulations to the two of them and I know they will do us proud.”
Their first assignment will be the opening round of Vodacom URC clash against Scarlets in Pretoria on Sunday.
LISTEN: World Champion Boks make a point
KEO: Battered, but not beaten, Boks subdue ferocious French
Photo: @BlueBullsRugby/Twitter