CONFIRMED: D-Day for Jake White's future revealed

REACTION: It looks certain that Jake White will not coach the Bulls next season.

It was reported in Sunday media that the Bulls’ Director of Rugby, White, has lost the support of his senior players and backroom staff.

This will come to a head at a meeting of the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd early next month.

According to Afrikaans weekly, Rapport, captain Ruan Nortje and fellow Springbok Marcell Coetzee led a player ‘revolt’ which demanded White’s head.

According to the report, White also lost the support of his assistant coaches Chris Rossouw and Andries Bekker.

According to @rugby365com sources at the inner sanctum of Loftus Versfeld, the breakdown in trust has been building up since last year.

However, it is now coming to a head.

Significantly, this season White always sat on his own at matches, while his assistants and other backroom staff sat together in the coaches’ box.

Willem Strauss, President of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, responded with a curt ‘no comment’ when asked about the report.

However, he confirmed there will be a ‘meeting of the minds’ next month that could have a significant impact on the situation.

“There is a meeting of the board of directors on July 4,” Strauss told @rugby365com, adding: “The [BBC] shareholders – the BBRU, Remgro [Johann Rupert] and African Rainbow Capital [Patrice Motsepe] – will evaluate the [2024/25] season and determine the way forward.”

It is at this meeting that White’s future will be mapped out.

However, insiders believe he has already coached his last match at Loftus Versfeld and will not see out the rest of his contract, which runs till 2027.

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It follows a similar pattern to other coaching stints, such as the Brumbies, Sharks, and Montpellier, where he had initial success before departing without staying the full term of his contract.

According to Sunday’s report, former Lions mastermind and Baby Boks assistant Johan Ackermann is one of the frontrunners to take charge at Loftus.

Ackermann is currently employed by the South African Rugby Union to assist with the junior structures.

Most of the discord at the Pretoria-based franchise revolves around White’s public critique of his players and poor communication with the support staff.

The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back was White’s comment after their 7-32 loss to Leinster in the United Rugby Championship Final in Dublin – their third loss in four finals since the inaugural 2021/22 season.

White, who has repeatedly told media briefings that he does not have the resources to compete with cash-flush teams like Toulouse, Leinster, and current champions Bordeaux Bègles, described the Irish province as ‘not a normal team’.

He pointed to the fact that Leinster could recruit and bring two-time World Cup-winning Springbok RG Snyman off the bench after opening up a 19-0 lead in the Final.

He said, ad nauseam, that SA franchises need to bring back the numerous World Cup-winning Boks playing abroad if they are to compete on the European stage.

It is a stance that has also put him in the crosshairs of influential SARU officials.

@king365ed
@rugby365com