Emergency surgery sidelines Jake White for a month
NEWS: The Bulls will be without the service of Director of Rugby Jake White for a month after he underwent successful emergency abdominal surgery on Sunday.
White had been under the weather during the Bulls’ recent trip to Wales but was on the mend as the team returned from Newport.
The team arrived back in South Africa on Sunday and later in the day, the Bulls director of rugby complained of debilitating stomach cramps and was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention, necessitating an emergency operation.
The Bulls revealed that after further specialist consultations and discussions with their medical team, White was taken in for an operation to repair the assessed damage. The successful 2-hour surgery took place at a Pretoria hospital and the doctors are pleased that everything went well.
The Bulls medical team is confident that White will make a full recovery and return to his role soon.
Bulls Chief Executive Officer, Edgar Rathbone visited White on Monday, to convey a message of support, stating that everyone at the club cannot wait to have him back on his feet.
“It is never nice to see one of our own down but we are extremely confident that Jake is receiving the best medical attention available and our team of medical experts will provide him with all the necessary support he will need to make a full recovery,” Rathbone said.
“We would like to thank the hospital team, doctors and all those who rushed to offer their expertise and helped with attending to Jake. We have seen, first-hand, why South African medicine is rated among the best in the world. Thank you.”
Whilst recovering from the operation and going through his rehabilitation programme, White will be taking a brief break from his team duties until February 8.
The Bulls stated that At present, they cannot place a timestamp on the length of this period but will be guided by the expertise and advice of the medical staff.
Bulls’ fans, stakeholders and the South African rugby-loving public will be kept in the know as and when there are developments or updates.
The coaching team will continue to share the responsibility of leading the team whilst the director of rugby is away.
