AUDIO: Jake's take on North-South derby
The Stormers versus Bulls United Rugby Champions Round Eight encounter will set a new South African attendance record – at least for this season.
The #BIG North-South derby may well attract more than 30,000 spectators – surpassing the season best of 24,515, set when the Bulls hosted the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld in Round Seven.
The passion and hype around this game, in Cape Town on Saturday, shows that it remains the biggest rivalry in the country.
It goes far beyond just the tradition of the game.
It speaks to the health and status of the game in South Africa.
Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White said the North-South derbies remind him of when he was a young schoolmaster.
“I always said, as long as the big game stays the big game, then you are doing your job,” he told @rugby365com.
The North-South derby has come in many guises – be that the University of Pretoria versus Stellenbosch University, Northern Transvaal versus Western Province and in the professional era Bulls versus Stormers.
(LISTEN as Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White explains to @king365ed why the #BIG North-South derby is vital for the South African game…)
“Whether the game is played at Christmas or in June, it is irrelevant.
“As long as it stays the big game and stays the talking point of our calendar, then we know we are doing our jobs.”
The Bulls boss said that recent history between the two franchises will have no impact on Saturday’s game.
The Stormers have won all six URC fixtures against the Bulls.
The last Bulls victory was the 31-27 triumph win in Pretoria in the Rainbow Cup in June 2021.
Since the start of the 2021/22 season, the Stormers’ only loss to a fellow South African opponent was 19-37 at home to the Lions in December 2021.
The Stormers only home losses since that reverse against the Lions have both been to Munster – 24-26 in the pool match in April and 14-19 in the Final in May.
“The Stormers won [only] their second game, out of eight [starts], this past weekend and won by a point,” he said of their 21-20 Champions Cup win over Stade Rochelais.
“It is all back to square one in the URC this week.”
The Stormers’ four-game losing run in the URC ended with their 21-7 victory over Zebre in Stellenbosch in Round Seven.
The Bulls have lost just one of their last five URC matches: 23-31 at Edinburgh in Round Five.
The Bulls’ 44-10 home victory over the Sharks in Round Seven ended a five-game losing streak against fellow South African sides in the URC.
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