Bulls app part of winning formula

Now, with the start of the season around the corner, White, in a interview with Lowvelder, said that he is ready to pull out all the stops to get the team back to their former glory and winning ways.

Part of his plans were the introduction of a mobile application in cooperation with Vodacom, which White said is a way to get closer to the team’s loyal supporters. He said that this is another major step forward in building their digital brand.

“Through the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, there has been tremendous growth of digital media. Rugby is going to need new ways of connecting with fans and the new Vodacom Bulls App is part of a strategy to grow the Vodacom Bulls digital presence and offer fans an unrivalled experience both on and off the field,” he said.

“It is also a way to rule out second-hand information by answering some questions supporters have pondering for a long time,” he said, and added that opinions on the Bulls tend to be a tad sceptical. “In the app you will find information and insights by watching No Holds Barred, you won’t get from any other Vodacom Bulls news source,” he said.

With the team back in training, White said isolation taught them resilience. “We had lots of time to think on our feet and work on strategies. We prepared ourselves for many different scenarios and we are ready for whatever challenges come our way.” Following the Vodacom Super Fan Saturday matches in Pretoria (September 26) and the Castle Lager Springbok Showdown in Cape Town (October 3), the seven provincial teams will head into a double round of local action over 16 weekends with two trophies up for grabs.

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Much to the excitement of Lowvelders, local born-and-bred Duane Vermeulen will captain the Bulls. “The 34-year-old World Cup winning number eight is no stranger to leadership roles as he captained the Springboks against New Zealand in Wellington last year while he also wore the DHL Stormers’ armband in 2015.

Couple this with his experience of both Southern and Northern hemisphere rugby, on top of his never-back-down attitude and dedication to perfecting his craft, and it becomes easy to understand his appointment,” he said. White further described Vermeulen as loyal, committed, driven yet quiet – “much like Gary Teichmann”.

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“Duane is exactly where he belongs.” Lowvelder asked White how he and his team will adapt to games without supporters. “We are quite excited about it. There will be no added pressure from the crowd, which will be both strange and thrilling at the same time. “I have asked myself this many a times, what would a big school derby for instance be like without the crowd influencing the game?

How would change the outcome? We will have to wait and see,” he said. On plans to get the Vodacom Bulls back on a winning streak, White simply answered: There is no other option – “We are in it to win it.”