Latest news with #Bulls
IOL News
15 minutes ago
- Business
- IOL News
HONOR and Blue Bulls Announce Technology Device Partnership
The technology and innovation company has been announced as the technology device partner, ushering in an era of technologically driven performance for the Pretoria outfit. The Blue Bulls are proud to announce global technology brand, HONOR, as their exclusive technology devices sponsor. The significance of this partnership signifies the huge shift that has been happening in global sports, in which gaming tactics and technology are increasingly relying on each other to ensure the best possible team coordination and performance outcomes. The collaboration emphasises HONOR's dedication to fuse useful technology with everyday life, work and play. The brand's notable 180% growth rate in 2024 and the milestone achievement of over one million units sold in South Africa, demonstrates its investment and activeness in the South African market. It's latest corporate strategy, the HONOR ALPHA PLAN, aims to transform the future of AI and smart technology, from digital AI agents to physical applications that will redefine human interaction with intelligent devices. As the technology partner to the Bulls, HONOR will equip the team with smart technology, supporting the players and technical teams with smart devices across its extensive product range to improve their game, connect with fans and simplify their daily living. Fred Zhou, CEO of HONOR Technologies Africa, expressed that, 'The Blue Bulls are a South African brand that is synonymous with sporting achieving that unites South Africans from all walks of life. The team has a great history of brilliance in on-the-field performance as well as fostering a strong relationship with communities that form part of its fanbase. As HONOR, we've decided to join this family and together we intend on ushering an era of technology and innovation driven performance and connection.'
IOL News
18 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Western Province aims to reclaim Currie Cup glory without their top players
Brok Harris will be in the coaching box when WP face the Bulls in their Currie Cup opener on Saturday in Cape Town. Image: BackpagePix Western Province is dead-set on righting the wrongs of last season's Currie Cup as they look to establish a more settled squad throughout the tournament this year. Their senior United Rugby Championship (URC) players won't be involved in the competition as they start preparations for the new European season. Still, the Cape side will look for a settled squad that can take them far in the competition after limited success last year that had supporters in the Mother City worried. A marker will be laid on Saturday and the coaches will see exactly where the team is when they face the Bulls at the DHL Stadium in the Currie Cup opener. Plenty of hard work being put in in by the DHL WP coaches and their extended squad as we keep building towards the Carling Currie Cup. 🔵⚪️ #wpjoulekkerding — WP RUGBY (@WP_RUGBY) July 3, 2025 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. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Forwards coach Brok Harris confirmed they will not have players going in and out of the team, while they've also tapped into the WP club rugby system to test some promising amateur players. Those players will be committed to WP for the duration of the competition. 'The club players we identified will be part of the entire campaign; it won't be a thing of in and out or a two-week kind of thing,' according to Harris. 'They've worked hard and have been pushing even for guys who don't have a contract. There is a possibility for them to play for contracts even. There is a lot at stake. We have the likes of Carlo van Greunen (a lock from Paarl), Brendan Venter and Erhard Lambrecht (both Helderberg), and De Wet Marais.' The Carling #CurrieCup wall of champions keeps changing. Four years. Four different winners. Who claims it in 2025?#WhereChampionsRise | #PremierRugbyRealPassion — The Carling Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) July 21, 2025 Harris added that they are bracing for a massive game against the Bulls. Of course, he will be in the coaching box this time, but he recalled his debut in the North-South derby back in 2006. 'You think inter-varsity is big, but then you get to the North-South derby in the Currie Cup, and you find you don't get bigger than that. It was next level. For these guys, it will be a great experience. 'It will be challenging playing against old Stormers like Nama Xaba (Bulls captain), Junior (Pokomela, flanker), Marvin (Orie, lock), and Lizo (Gqoboka, prop). There are a couple of them who have been in our environment. However, we can only control what we can and stick to what we've been training. 'We look forward to the challenge they will bring. This season, we will keep on fighting for the jersey, whatever comes our way. We will go out there and give it our best.'
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Coach Johan Ackermann upbeat about future as he takes over at the Bulls
As he prepares to take over the coaching reins at the Bulls, Johan Ackermann is confident the array of talent at Loftus has what it takes to finally win the United Rugby Championship (URC). The vastly experienced Ackermann is replacing Jake White, who led the Bulls to three URC finals and the knockout stages of the Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup. 'This team has talent and I believe we can play any style of rugby we want,' said Ackermann, who was part of the coaching staff for the Junior Springboks as they won the U20 Championships in Italy, with their final victory against the Baby Blacks on Saturday. 'We can play the traditional Bulls style and be physical and have good set pieces, but we also have the quality to attack and play all the spaces that the opposition give us. 'My philosophy is to play an exciting and attacking brand of rugby, be positive and score tries. And we have to acknowledge that what the Bulls have been doing must work. Welcome coach 🤝 — Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) July 22, 2025 'They have beaten good sides and reached playoffs. I do feel there were moments where I would probably want to change a few things tactically, and once I get used to players and understand our strengths as a team, I can then bring my own flavour in. 'This has been a quality performing team for the last few years already, so that is a challenge for me — to make sure we keep performing with the quality of this squad.' Coaches of the leading South African franchises have a balancing act to perform ensuring their teams compete well in the URC and Champions Cup. 'There will be the challenge of managing this squad across various competitions, as is the norm for the modern-day coach. There will be the challenge of the always-high expectations on this team,' Ackermann said. 'The expectation is high and it brings a different pressure on this position. You can feel there's not a lot of room for error. But I can only be myself and enjoy this and through that we can keep that standard going.' The coach said he will first look internally to find a winning formula. 'If something is not quite clicking, then I normally look at the team's values. If as a team you've put out certain values at the beginning of the season and one of those is not going well, then it will reflect on the field. 'It's not about chasing the outcome or the result or the position on the log. It's about looking and seeing if there is something small we're not doing as a team. 'Finals are won on such small margins and I've experienced losing finals. It's very difficult to judge the outcome of a final from the outside if you haven't been involved in that week's preparation with the team for the game. 'Then from a tactical point of view, it's about going back to the principles of the game and seeing what we're missing. It's about what we control now — the next training session, the next scrum, the next breakdown.'
The Citizen
a day ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
'Johan will do well at Bulls' – Foote hails Ackermann's impact at U20s
Johan Ackermann's advisory role with the Junior Boks has come to a triumphant end, as he moves on to coaching the Bulls. Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote believes incoming Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann will produce the goods and lead the team to new heights, after his successful stint with the national U20 team which ended in World Championship glory. The former Lions coach, who also coached in England and Japan over the past seven years, was brought into the Junior Bok setup late last year as a coaching consultant, lending his considerable experience to the junior side since. The South African Rugby Union was reportedly so impressed by Ackermann's work that they had already asked him to consider staying on, but the lure of coaching one of the country's top franchise teams was too much and he accepted the Bulls' offer. 'He's a brilliant coach' After the World Rugby U20 Championship final on Saturday, Foote was asked about the impact Ackermann had on the junior side's success, and he claimed that it was huge. 'I can't speak more highly about Johan Ackermann. He's a brilliant coach. He coaches so well technically, but he is also a cultural coach. He's so good for our environment, he knows when to smile, sometimes he's dancing, sometimes he's serious,' said Foote. 'He gets the balance right and I think the fitness and love he showed to our forward pack in particular and brought these guys up with Mushie (Junior Bok forwards coach Lumumba Currie) was fantastic. 'Johan is going to do very well at the Bulls. He's just a good person and good things happen to good people. So in my opinion Johan had a massive impact on our (successful) campaign.' Stepping up to senior level With the Junior Bok players having now arrived back in SA from the World Champs in Italy, it will be interesting to see how many of them will be able to make the step up into senior rugby going forward. With the Currie Cup kicking off it will be a great chance for some of them to get some good experience, and the Bulls have already announced that five Junior Boks – Siphosethu Mnebelele, Jaco Grobbelaar, JJ Theron, Cheswill Jooste and Demitre Erasmus – are in their squad for the competition. 'I actually think quite a lot of them could make the step up. Once you put these guys in the right environment they will flourish,' said Foote. 'Riley (Norton, Junior Bok captain) as a case in point, he finished school last year, he plays in the tight five and he now captains us. He is still going to be with us next year. 'So I believe this is such a talented group and in the right environment they will kick on. I think you are going to see a lot of these names going forward for South African rugby and in the URC.'
The Citizen
a day ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Watch: No clear favourite for the Currie Cup 2025 title
The Currie Cup has seen four different winners in five seasons, including the Pumas in 2022 – a true underdog success story that injected fresh energy and drama into the competition. Only the Vodacom Blue Bulls have been repeat winners – the during South Africa's Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 and 2021. But since then, it's been a bit of a lottery underlining the unpredictable nature of South Africa's oldest rugby competition. Also read: One more before I'm done – Scarra In the 2020 season, which had been extended due to the pandemic, it was the Bulls who edged the Sharks 26-19 in a tense and tight final at Loftus Versfeld. Going into the final quarter, it looked for all money that the Sharks would claim another title with a healthy 10-point margin. But the home side staged a famous comeback. In the 2021 season, the Blue Bulls backed up their title-winning credentials – but this time the result was far more emphatic. The Bulls retained the cup with a commanding 44–10 win over the Sharks – the biggest ever winning margin in a Currie Cup final. The 2022 Currie Cup final saw two unlikely teams contest for top honours. Griquas hosted the Pumas, looking to win the Currie Cup for the first time in 52 years. But the Pumas – in their very first final – showed their class to defeat their hosts 26-19 and claim the silverware. In 2023, the defending champion Pumas again showed good, consistent form throughout the competition and deservedly made it into their second consecutive final. But on that day, they couldn't quite match the Free State Cheetahs who were 25-17 victors in Bloemfontein. And then in 2024, in slippery conditions at Ellis Park, the Lions were looking to cap an impressive Currie Cup campaign and looked to have done enough when they scored and converted to take the lead five minutes from full-time. But Springbok Jordan Hendrickse's 59m penalty in injury time, snatched victory away from the home side. The post Currie Cup 2025: No clear favourite for the title appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
