Jake White's era at Loftus Versfeld officially over
The Blue Bulls Company (BBCo) officially confirmed on Friday afternoon that a joint agreement had been reached that White would vacate his office and leave the company's service.
The full statement reads as follows:
'Following a thorough end-of-season review, the Vodacom Bulls and Director of Rugby Jake White have mutually agreed to part ways effective immediately.
'White, who arrived at Loftus Versfeld in 2020, quickly made an impact, securing back-to back championships in Super Rugby Unlocked and the Carling Currie Cup that same season. His tenure also saw the Bulls reach three Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Finals and achieve knockout appearances in both the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup.
'Edgar Rathbone, CEO of BBCo, acknowledged White's significant contributions:
''Jake has tremendous rugby IP, and that has been visible in the way he was able to transfer it into our structures and as a club we remain grateful for those contributions made during his tenure. He did amazing work here and it was a privilege to work with him as he helped our team become a superpower again. He has given us a great platform to build upon with a talented crop of young players who are just finding their true offering. He also helped the bigger playing group develop, with 10 emerging to play for the Springboks. This encouraging growth also ensured we were often in the mix for silverware', Rathbone commented.
'Club president Willem Strauss thanked White for his openness and contributions, especially at the grassroots level:
''On behalf of the club, the supporters, the staff and all our shareholders, I would like to thank Jake for the work he has done, the love and passion he has shown to our players, people and community during his time with us. His leadership has left a fantastic mark on our club, and the way he fought to get us up when we needed it the most will make him a hero of ours for a long time to come. He leaves the club in a better place than when he arrived.
''During his rugby directorship, he helped elevate our grassroots game in the manner that he devised our integration strategy between the high-performance environment and our club ecosystem.
''We are extremely grateful to Jake for his commitment and contribution during his five years at the club,' Strauss remarked.
Having consulted with the shareholders, White himself stated his decision was based on a desire for the team to find a new voice:
''I have made the decision to move on. With many years' coaching experience, I felt it would be difficult to get the squad to perform to the next level. Therefore, in the best interest of both myself and the Bulls I feel it's time for a new chapter. It's time for this group to have a new voice.
''I have enjoyed my time in Pretoria. I met some wonderful friends. I believe that rugby is like life – you win some you lose some. You learn as you grow. You need to be strong and courageous and, most importantly, it isn't always fair.
''I would like to thank all the loyal supporters, the Bulls staff that worked tirelessly, and to the players for their hard work and dedication. I wish BBRU President Willem Strauss and the amateur game lots of success in the future. To the shareholders, I will always be grateful for all the support and financial backing they gave, far and beyond any other club. Thank you for the privilege. To the Board for their support and CEO, Edgar Rathbone, coaches and management, it was great to be part of this winning culture. To be part of Bulls rugby history has been an absolute honour. I wish Bulls rugby all the best. Hou die Blou bo!' White concluded.
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Having consulted with the shareholders, White stated his decision was based on a desire for the team to find a new voice. 'I have made the decision to move on. With many years' coaching experience, I felt it would be difficult to get the squad to perform to the next level. Therefore, in the best interest of both myself and the Bulls I feel it's time for a new chapter. It's time for this group to have a new voice. 'I have enjoyed my time in Pretoria. I met some wonderful friends. I believe that rugby is like life — you win some you lose some. You learn as you grow. You need to be strong and courageous and, most importantly, it isn't always fair. 'I would like to thank all the loyal supporters, the Bulls staff that worked tirelessly, and to the players for their hard work and dedication. I wish BBRU president Willem Strauss and the amateur game lots of success in the future. 'To the shareholders, I will always be grateful for all the support and financial backing they gave, far and beyond any other club. Thank you for the privilege. To the board for their support and CEO, Edgar Rathbone, coaches and management, it was great to be part of this winning culture. To be part of Bulls rugby history has been an absolute honour. I wish Bulls rugby all the best. Hou die blou bo!'
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Thousands of unsold tickets also remain for tomorrow's fixture against Italy at Loftus Versfeld. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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During a recent investigation, Independent Media compared ticket prices for some of the Springboks' away matches this year — including the much-anticipated Rugby Championship clash against the All Blacks at Auckland's Eden Park — using the 'Big Mac Index'. According to the data, the most expensive ticket for the Boks vs All Blacks match is, after conversion, around R968 — significantly lower than the top-end R3 000 tickets for Springbok home fixtures. Similarly, the most expensive tickets for the Springboks' Tests against Argentina in London and Wales in Cardiff are also cheaper, calculated at R1 469 and R1 017 respectively. However, Oberholzer maintains that domestic ticket pricing is fair and necessary to keep the sport afloat in South Africa. 'We feel that we are fairly priced,' he said during a media briefing, where Hyundai announced they had expanded their collaboration, which will now also include the Springboks and all other national teams, with SA Rugby. 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