Latest news with #JohanAckermann
The Citizen
29-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Ackermann knows exactly what awaits him at Loftus Versfeld
This is personal – that's the clear message from Johan Ackermann, the new head coach of the Bulls. It's as personal as his memories of playing Carlton League rugby with Bulls legends in the Police Rugby Club – or the Bobbies as they've always been known in Pretoria – on bitterly cold winter nights. Of running up and down the Loftus Versfeld stadium stairs for training while playing for this team. Or running out the tunnel at Loftus wearing a Springbok jersey for the first time. But mostly, it's the memories of what rugby means to the people of the capital city, and what the Bulls mean to their fans – from the big-name city schools to smaller rural schools and from homes in Pretoria to farms in Polokwane. 'It's massive. It's personal. It's hard to put into words how the rugby culture in Pretoria and around the Bulls is just so different to anywhere else. It's a privilege to be back in this rich culture of rugby. The Bulls give people something that they can go back to work on a Monday and be proud of,' said Ackermann during an interview this past weekend. Ackermann's deep understanding of the culture of this team is one of the biggest attributes that he brings to the role of head coach. It will blend well with his own highly-regarded ability to develop culture within any team where he has worked. 'I have a simple philosophy of treating people the way I like to be treated. That's my foundation. For me as a coach, it's about finding out how each player likes to be communicated to. Maybe I was fortunate that in my playing career I experienced a lot. I experienced being injured, not being selected and the highs of being selected. So I try to feel the joy and the sorrow or the pain of that player, because I've experienced it. And when we're on the field we work hard, but off the field we have to have fun,' he explained. When it comes to the players, there is no doubt in Ackermann's mind that this Bulls team already has all the talent it needs to convert three United Rugby Championship final appearances into a trophy. 'This team has talent and I believe we can play any style of rugby we want. 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 gives us. My philosophy is to play an exciting and attacking brand of rugby and be positive and score tries. And we have to acknowledge that what the Bulls have been doing must work. They've 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 the use of the players and understand our strengths as a team, you can then bring your 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,' he remarked. As for finding the final piece to the trophy puzzle, Ackermann said he'll first look where he always does when starting with a team. '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 such small margins, and I've experienced losing finals,' he commented. 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. But it's exactly these pressures that Ackermann believes is the privilege of the Bulls and the standards this team has always set. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
The Citizen
24-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Ackermann says he's ‘not different, only more streetwise' since his Lions days
New Bulls coach Johan Ackermann says he is not a different coach, but a more streetwise and experienced one than he was before. New Bulls coach Johan Ackermann said he has become more 'streetwise and experienced,' learning about player management and the value of inclusivity in the seven years since he left the Lions. Ackermann led the Lions to Super Rugby finals in 2016 and 2017 before joining Gloucester and reaching the 2018 Challenge Cup final. He later coached in Japan, guiding Urayasu to Division 1 promotion in 2022, and recently consulted with the Junior Springboks, who won this year's World Championship. While in Japan, he earned the Division 2 Coach of the Year award, adding to his three South African Coach of the Year honours. Ackers learns much overseas Now back in South Africa, Ackermann said he aims to build a healthy, value-driven culture at the Bulls centred on mutual respect, humility, service, and teamwork — getting the best out of players while ensuring they enjoy what they do. 'I wouldn't say different,' he said when asked how he had changed since his Lions tenure. 'Maybe more streetwise, a bit more experienced. A bit more wary of how important it is to include different cultures.' He also highlighted the importance of players understanding the demands of modern rugby, especially extensive travel and adapting to team systems. 'Culture was the big thing [overseas]. You had All Blacks. They wanted a certain style; they wanted to play a certain way. Then you had an English player, then you had a Scottish player… 'So to create that unity and to also put your stamp on it, it took a lot of convincing. You have to really be strong on your principles and how you want to play, and also allow them to have input.' Ackermann balances being fun and being hands-on Ackermann said coaching the Lions was easier due to a fresh group that was more willing to be moulded the way he and Swys de Bruin wanted. At Gloucester and in Japan, he worked with strong personalities and internationals like Liam Gill, Israel Folau, and Greig Laidlaw. 'You have to learn as a coach that sometimes you can learn from them as well. There are good inputs there.' Still, he believes the team's direction must come from the coach. On his current role, he said Phiwe Nomlomo had led the Currie Cup side well and he didn't want to overshadow him. 'It will be a good opportunity for me to be on the back seat… then I can start sharing how I see things.' 'I think to be yourself is the best thing. To bring a bit of dancing and a bit of laughter and a bit of music. Everybody enjoys that, doesn't matter what culture they are.'
News24
24-07-2025
- Sport
- News24
Broad-shouldered ‘Ackers' ready to tackle Bulls job challenge: ‘I'm under no illusions...'
HOU BY DIE BLOU: New Bulls coach Johan Ackermann began his two-year tenure as the Pretoria franchise's mentor this week. Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
The Citizen
24-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Johan Ackermann opens up about the ‘missing 1%' at the Bulls
The new Bulls coach was reluctant to speculate on past finals, but has "one or two ideas" about travel and squad integration. New head coach Johan Ackermann has one or two ideas he would like to try at the Bulls. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images New Bulls coach Johan Ackermann said any number of factors could have been responsible for the Pretoria union narrowly missing out on claiming the United Rugby Championship trophy. However, he had a few ideas that may improve the team's performance. The Bulls have reached three URC finals in the past four years but have not been able to cross the line. They came closest when they hosted Glasgow Warriors in 2024. After leading 13–0 early on, they ultimately fell 21–16. The Bulls lost 18–13 to the Stormers in Cape Town in 2022 and, most recently, were thrashed 32–7 by Leinster in Dublin last month. It was after that Leinster defeat that then-boss Jake White said he simply could not beat Leinster with the players he had. Shortly afterwards, players and coaches allegedly expressed their discontent with the board, and White and the Bulls mutually agreed to part ways earlier this month. Three times SA coach of the year, Ackermann was instated following stints at the Lions, Gloucester, Japan and with the SA U20s. 'I can only be myself' 'It's a big challenge. There's no illusion of the massive task that lies ahead,' he told the media on Wednesday. 'To take a team that has been performing, not just the last four years, but has been champions in Super Rugby before … that's my task, to make sure that we get the team to perform as quickly as we can. 'I can only be myself and do the things that I believe in and hopefully that will be good enough to get the team to where they need to be.' He said it was unfair to speculate what the missing link was for the Bulls, also joking that he did not have a great track record in finals either, with the Lions missing out in two Super Rugby finals (2016 and 2017) and Gloucester losing the Challenge Cup final in 2018. 'That [missing] 1% is a difficult thing because it is as much as one referee's decision, as much as one pass. The Springboks have won a World Cup with three one-pointers. It could have gone either way and if they didn't win it, everybody would have asked what that one missing link was.' He said the travel, a small aspect in tactics or preparation for a game, could also affect the result. For example, Ackermann wondered what would have happened if Springbok loose forward Kwagga Smith hadn't received a red card in the 2017 Super Rugby final, which the Lions lost 25–17 to the Crusaders. 'That's one incident almost taking the whole season apart because you didn't win the trophy. So it will be difficult for me to say what that 1% will be.' Ackermann looks to the controllables at the Bulls The Bulls coach said he couldn't control the past, but one way he could give the Bulls the best chance of success would be to tick boxes in strategy and preparation, and ensure all players are in a good place enjoying their rugby. 'Getting them to know why they are playing, what they are representing. Giving ourselves a chance to make sure we get enough wins to get into the play-off games. Then it's the small things that we make sure we tick.' He said he had 'one or two ideas' about travel, and integrating URC players into the Currie Cup squad before the bigger European tournaments kick off, that may work. But he would discuss them first with CEO Edgar Rathbone and president Willem Strauss.
IOL News
23-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Ackermann eyes culture shift at Bulls: It's not about you
New Bulls boss Johan Ackermann has promised a values-driven approach, aiming to build a team that wins with humility and unity. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Johan Ackermann wants to change the Bulls — and not just on the field. The new coach, appointed in the wake of Jake White's departure earlier this month, is fully aware that it will be there — on the field — where he will ultimately be judged by the majority of South Africans. But on Wednesday, Ackermann laid out a broader vision: to develop not just better rugby players, but better people. 'I want a team that works hard,' said Ackermann in his first media appointment as head coach from Loftus Versveld. 'So, if you're not willing to work hard, it's going to be a problem. I want a team that — he says — is a serving team … it's not about you. You must serve the team first. 'It is about picking up a thing that lies around, giving somebody water first before you drink it, caring for your teammates and those around you… You have the opportunity to treat people, so how do you treat them? 'If we have that respect and trust for each other, that will be important. 'The last thing is, I said (to the players), I want to trust you. If I say something you don't like, tell me immediately. 'The style of play,' the 55-year-old added, 'I don't want to say too much about that. That is something that we must keep to ourselves, but I will say that, hopefully, the supporters will enjoy the style of play.' Ackermann inherits arguably the best team in South Africa. Under White, the Bulls reached three United Rugby Championship finals in four years. They lost all three, which seemingly resulted in an unhealthy degree of frustration creeping into the changeroom. Recent reports suggest that a player revolt terminated White's relationship with the team and the union — the aforementioned of which were unhappy with the former World Cup-winning coach's comments regarding their skillsets, or lack thereof, after their final loss to Leinster. Ackermann was careful not to cast judgement on what had come before but reiterated a belief that the squad he will be working with in the coming months has the capacity to remain at the forefront of South African rugby. "It's always difficult to make any comments from the outside,' said Ackermann. 'I think the reality is, if you haven't worked with a player, you haven't worked with a team, it is difficult to make any conclusions. 'For me, the first thing is to get to know each player, each talent — what their strengths are and what they can do. Then you can put a plan in place according to those players' strengths and then change tactics and etcetera. 'I do believe it's a good squad.' Ackermann arrived in Pretoria earlier this week after helping the Junior Springboks win the bronze medal at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, and intends to first familiarise himself with the structures and resources of the Bulls. As such, he will have a limited role — initially — in the upcoming Currie Cup campaign, with the possibility of it expanding if required. The Bulls start that campaign this weekend against Western Province under the guidance of coach Phiwe Nonlomo. That game kicks off at 5.10pm on Saturday from Cape Town Stadium.
