Blue Bulls Company confirms appointment of Human and Zondagh
After weeks of speculation and even drama behind the scenes, the Blue Bulls Company announced on Tuesday that Pote Human will be the Bulls’ SuperRugby head coach next year.
The Blue Bulls company (BBCo) officially announced on Tuesday morning at Loftus Versfeld that Pote Human will coach the Bulls in the 2019 Super Rugby tournament, while Alan Zondagh’s appointment as a director of rugby is also confirmed.
Human’s appointment was a surprise in some circles after it was quite widely accepted that former Springbok and Bulls captain Victor Matfield would get the position.
Matfield was indeed the favourite to get the job, but it is understood that the long-term security of his contract as rugby analyst for SuperSport as well as family reasons finally convinced him to withdraw from the race for the position.
According to the BBCo Human no doubt epitomizes everything that the they stand for.
“He is the perfect blend of good rugby values together with the passion and understanding of the modern game. The BBCo Board of Directors believe that Human, who acted as an assistant coach to John Mitchell during the past 12 months, will build on the momentum the Bulls as well as the Blue Bulls gained during the 2018 season,” the BBCo said in a statement.
At the same time, the BBCo revealed that further signings regarding players and the management team that will assist Human will be announced soon and that they are confident Human will return the brand to winning ways.
As a player, Human was a no-nonsense loose forward, one that racked up 116 games for Eastern Province, and 82 for the Free Sate, 64 of which he captained for the Bloemfontein based side.
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He started his coaching career with the SA U23 side in 1995 as an assistant coach, then moved to Shimlas for a five year period winning the National Club Champs in 2004, before becoming an assistant coach in 2005 for the Blue Bulls Currie Cup side.
In 2006 he became assistant coach to the Super Rugby team under Heyneke Meyer, and in the same year shared the Currie Cup title with Free State Cheetahs as head coach. His role as assistant coach in the Bulls winning their first Super Rugby title in 2007 was vital.
Human also spent two years at the Ricoh Rugby Club in Japan as Forwards coach, before returning as Director of Rugby at Garsfontein High School. He then became head coach of Griquas for a short stint, returning to Pretoria to coach Tuks to a Varsity cup title.
His role at Loftus over the last few years as Super Sport Challenge & U21 Head Coach, Super Rugby Forward coach as well as Currie Cup head coach has been immense, and became clearly evident in the exciting brand of rugby currently being played by the team.
* Alan Zondagh also joins the Blue Bulls, coming in as Director of Rugby. He will be responsible for overseeing the comprehensive rugby structures at Loftus, while supporting Human and his management team in their new roles.
Zondagh also served as Director of Coaching at Western Province Rugby Union between 1980 and 1988. He then moved into a Head Coach and Director of Coaching role at Eastern Province Rugby Union from 1989 to 1991. Zondagh was also head coach for Western Province between 1993 and 1996, and for London Scottish RFC between 1998 and 1999. In 1999 the rugby visionary moved over to Saracens RFC serving as their Director of Rugby, before becoming a Performance Director at the Rugby Performance Centre.
“Alan is a rugby visionary, and with his international experience he will add immensely to the future growth of this brand. He will also serve as a mentor to our coaches and management, and I believe that they will gain a lot from having a guy of his calibre around. We would like to officially welcome him to Loftus Versfeld, and are looking forward to the difference he will make,” said Willem Strauss, Chairman of the BBCo board and President of the union.
Furthermore, the BBCo also confirmed that Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus will be available to mentor Human and his team during the pre-season and heading into Super Rugby. This further amplifies the close working relationship between the SA franchises and Erasmus as SARU’s Director of Rugby and current Springbok Head Coach.
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