Jake White departs Bulls after player fallout

Jake White has been sacked as director of rugby at the Vodacom Bulls following a breakdown in his relationship with senior players. As painful as it may be for some, it’s the right call, writes Mark Keohane.

Tensions had been simmering behind the scenes at Loftus, culminating in reports of an ultimatum issued to the Bulls board: either White steps down, or key members of the squad and coaching staff walk away. Captain Ruan Nortje and veteran Marcell Coetzee are believed to have led a delegation that voiced their dissatisfaction, pointing to White’s public criticism of players and his controversial post-match comments after the URC final defeat to Leinster.

URC Final: Jake White’s time is up as Bulls take another play-offs beating

The Bulls board convened on Friday to review the 2024–25 campaign and discuss succession planning. Johan Ackermann, currently involved with the Junior Springboks, has been strongly linked to the role.

Despite the acrimonious exit, Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone paid tribute to White’s 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.”

Club president Willem Strauss echoed that appreciation:

“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.”

White, who joined the Bulls in 2020, departs having helped the franchise return to title contention and produce a new wave of Springboks—but his departure leaves a vacuum at Loftus at a critical juncture in their rebuild.