Bulls head coach Johann Ackermann draws inspiration from people who overcome extraordinary challenges, using their stories to help his players put the pressure of professional rugby into perspective.

From watching emotional auditions on ‘America’s Got Talent’ to following people who have overcome life-changing diagnoses, Ackermann looks beyond rugby for reminders of what really matters, reports Pretoria Rekord.

“I enjoy inspiring stories from real life and things that people have overcome. It could be a guy who walks onto the stage at ‘America’s Got Talent’, and the judges have already judged him by his looks, and then he has this amazing talent,” he said.

Having coached teams around the world, Ackermann knows what it feels like to be judged and to have to prove himself. He faced that challenge again last season when he returned to Loftus Versfeld, where his rugby journey began as a young policeman.

Amid the weekly pressure to deliver results, he has learnt the importance of finding a balance between his professional responsibilities and personal well-being.

“For me personally, it’s a fine balance between being present and finding your own time. There is always a lot going on around a team, especially when we’re on tour. So I often go for a walk to switch off and listen to worship music,” he said.

Inspiration from off-field courage

Although rugby remains a major part of his life, Ackermann deliberately turns to other stories when he needs a break from the game.

“I watch a lot of rugby because it’s so much a part of my life. So when I need to get away from that a bit I love to watch these inspiring stories. It always reminds me that people go through incredible challenges which are much harder than just the pressure on us to win a match,” he said.

Ahead of the current United Rugby Championship season, Ackermann has shared some of these stories with his players.

One that made an impression was the story of Australian rugby league player Jai Arrow, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. According to Ackermann, Arrow’s team arranged for him to go onto the field and back off again during two matches so he could reach 100 appearances for the club.

“It just makes you appreciate life so much more,” Ackermann said.

Calm approach to new season

The Bulls reached the United Rugby Championship final last season despite Ackermann taking over midway through the campaign. Now, with a more settled start to the new season, he has had more time to work with his coaching staff and players.

“There is more of a calm this season just because it’s not as new as it all was last season. This team showed a lot of unity last season,” he said.

However, Ackermann cautioned against making sweeping changes simply because the Bulls lost the final. Instead, the team has assessed last season’s statistics and its own observations to identify areas for improvement.

“But it is a new season with changes in the team as players come in and others go. You need to be careful that just because you lost a Grand Final, you don’t go and turn everything on its head. We took what we needed from last season and what the stats showed and our own observations, and hopefully we can build on that this season,” he said.

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