Long-time Jake White confidant takes over as the Bulls forwards coach
While the Springbok and Bulls fullback Warrick Gelant, has announced that it will join the Stormers next season, Jake White, however, still continues undisturbed to build his future team in terms of players and coaches.
Jake White threw a few more cards on the table last week to shed a bit of light on his plans for the team he wants to build to make the Bulls champions once again.
Experienced forwards coach, Russell Winter, will join the Bulls as one of White’s assistant coaches. He will take over the responsibility as forward coach, which was one of the former head coach Pote Human’s tasks.
Winter enjoyed a long and fruitful playing career. The 44-year-old former loose forward represented the Cats and Sharks in Super Rugby and the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup. His energetic and intelligent playing ability was complimented by his astute leadership as he captained both the Cats and Golden Lions.
Nationally, he turned out for the Blitzboks and he toured Europe with South Africa A in 2001.
He also played for the Newcastle Falcons in the English Premiership before trading his boots for a coaching career.
Winter returned to the Xerox Golden Lions in 2011, where he coached the Vodacom Cup and U21 teams which included silverware in 2013 (Vodacom Cup) before moving to the Cape in 2016 as the forwards coach of the Stormers and Western Province.
Winter shares a remarkable relationship with White that spans over two decades with the latter being a major force in Winter’s decision to attend Jeppe High School for Boys. His move to Loftus Versfeld marks another relationship milestone with the duo sharing similar coaching philosophies.
– The news of Winter’s appointment comes shortly after the announcement that Springbok fullback Warrick Gelant has decided to say goodbye to Loftus Versfeld after seven years.
Gelant will move south to Cape Town, where he will be available for WP and the Stormers next season.
– Meanwhile, it has also been announced that White has succeeded in attracting one of the most promising young locks in South Africa to the Bulls.
Walt Steenkamp will join the team as of November 2020 after he signed a two-year deal with the Bulls.
The towering 24-year-old lock forward, who stands 2.03m at 121kg, had been gaining valuable experience in the Guinness PRO14 for the Cheetahs before opting to ply his trade in Pretoria.
Steenkamp made his mark in the Varsity Cup in the colours of NWU-Pukke where he made a valuable contribution in 2016 when the Potchefstroom based university clinched the final against Maties in overtime.
In 2018, he was awarded the prestigious Player that Rocks award in the Varsity Cup, before moving on to the Currie Cup First Division where he made a massive impact for the Leopards.
The mobile yet imposing lock made the trip to Bloemfontein where he continued to impress for the Cheetahs especially on the heavier European fields.
His arrival at Loftus Versfeld will most certainly benefit the second row as White continues attracting experience to Pretoria.
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