The Blue Bulls Company (BBCo) on Friday officially announced the names of Pote Human‘s assistant coaches for the upcoming SuperRugby season, while Human also appointed his captain and vice-captain.

Human will be assisted by two former Springbok players, a former star of Tuks and the Blue Bulls’ Currie Cup team and an experienced technical analyst who has been part of the Bulls and Blue Bulls’ management for almost a decade, while a former Blue Bulls Currie Cup head coach was called back to assist Human with the team’s defence.

Meanwhile, Human also announced that he appointed Lood de Jager as the Bulls’ SuperRugby captain for 2019.

He will be deputised by Springbok flyhalf Handré Pollard, who is also a proven leader. He was captain of the Junior Springboks in 2014 and also led the Bulls last season in a few games in the SuperRugby tournament when Burger Odendaal was injured.

“We’ve had some great leaders at Loftus, and often worked with a core group of guys that contributed to the leadership. We are once again spoilt for choice with guys like Burger Odendaal, Hanro Liebenberg, Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Brits, Ruan Steenkamp, Travis Ismaiel and Jesse Kriel to mention a few. However, Lood has grown into an inspirational leader, even during a time when he didn’t play much rugby, and I am positive that he will have the full support of everybody at Loftus,” Human said on Friday.

* The big surprise in Pote Human’s management team is the appointment of Pine Pienaar as a defence coach.

Pienaar is no stranger at Loftus and it is now clear that Human has high regard for his abilities. He spent seven years between 2011 and 2017 within the coaching division at Loftus, working as an assistant coach specialising in defence for all the teams across the BBCo, and even heading up the Currie Cup team.

He started his professional career in rugby in 2006 with the Free State Cheetahs as their Director of Junior rugby and coach. He also coached the Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup teams in Bloemfontein, and he was responsible for the recruitment and contracting of junior players at the Cheetahs.

Pienaar was one of the members of the Bulls and Blue Bulls’ management team who, at the end of 2017, lost their jobs at Loftus Versfeld in a controversial way due to a process described by the Blue Bulls Company as financial rationalization.

In 2018, he accepted the role of Director of Sport at Hoërskool Waterkloof, but due to his knowledge and experience, he soon became a consultant for the Cheetahs on all levels from Pro14 to the juniors – including the Shimlas, the Varsity Cup team of the University of the Free State.

Pienaar also consulted to the Kubota Spears in Japan in 2018, advising coaches on their defensive principles and structures.

* Another unexpected appointment is that of Chris Rossouw, former Springbok and Western Province flyhalf and brother of the legendary Springbok wing Pieter Rossouw – also a former assistant coach at Loftus. He brings his expertise as backline and attack coach.

The flyhalf spent the bulk of his playing career at Western Province and the Stormers between 1997 to 2005, before heading abroad to France to play club rugby for three years. He returned to South Africa in 2008 and finished his playing career with the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

Rossouw started his coaching career in 2012 at the University of Stellenbosch where he spent 5 years, working his way from assistant coach to head coach, specialising with team attack and the backs. Later in 2016 he headed back to Cape Town serving as an assistant coach to the WP under 21s, winning that title in 2017.

Later in 2017, he was appointed as an assistant coach by the Namibian Rugby Union (Team Attack, Kicking and Exit Strategy, and Backs) for the World Rugby Nations Cup, before moving to SAS Rugby International Institute as a head coach between 2017 and 2018.

* Loftus legend and formers Bulls captain Anton Leonard steps into the role of lineout specialist.

Leonard played for the Bulls between 2000 and 2008, leading the team with distinction during that period, and was also part of the winning Super Rugby team in 2007.

The former Springbok Number 8 started his coaching career at SWD in George and later moved back to Pretoria to the join the coaching staff at Loftus in 2015.

* Young Hayden Groepes (31) continues his rise within the ranks of the BBCo High Performance division. He will assume the role of Skills coach as well as kicking and kicking strategy.

As a player, Groepes started his career at the Western Province moving on to Boland, before making his way to Pretoria in 2010, where he played for the Blue Bulls at fullback and on the wing in the Currie Cup. The hard running and illusive fullback got his first taste of coaching and management at Tuks and later moved to Loftus as a technical analyst.

* Stalwart John-William Meyer also started his coaching career as a Technical Advisor at Tuks, and moved to the BB Co in 2011, working his way up from the junior ranks into the Super Rugby management team.

Meyer retains the role of Head Technical & Performance Analyst going into the new season.

* An announcement regarding the newly appointed Scrum and Maul specialist coach for the Bulls to replace Gary Botha – who resigned at the end of the 2018 season – will be made shortly.

According to sources at Loftus Versfeld, the BBCo’s first choice in this regard is the former Springbok prop and forward coach of the Cheetahs, Daan Human.

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