Bulls director of rugby Jake White will assume head coaching responsibilities of the Pretoria-based outfit’s Currie Cup side after Edgar Marutlulle agreed to step down from the position.
According to a Bulls press release, White and Marutlulle had a meeting and it was agreed that the best course of action was to allow the latter to step back and resume his work in junior rugby at the union.
Steps down after less than a month in charge
Less than a month ago, Marutlulle, who played as a hooker for the Bulls at Super Rugby level in 2017 and 2018, was appointed as the Bulls’ head coach for their Currie Cup campaign.
However, they have struggled in the Currie Cup this year and are firmly rooted to the bottom of the table after four rounds of matches. This, after they lost to the Pumas, Western Province, Free State Cheetahs and Griffons.
And after the Bulls were knocked out of the Champions Cup by Toulouse on Sunday, White has been freed up to take over the coaching reins of their Currie Cup team as well.
Under the alterations to their coaching structures, Gert Smal, Hugo van As and Sean Everitt will remain in their current positions as assistant coaches to White during the Currie Cup until the end of their short-term contracts.
White was full of praise for Marutlulle after he agreed to step down from his position as head coach.
“I met with Edgar and he felt that there needed to be action taken, with the union coming first,” said White. “A perspective that we both share and something I commend him on.
“It is important that our coaches continue to feel as though there is a pathway. Sometimes we will get successes and sometimes we must take a step back and be proactive, and as a union we are doing exactly that.
“I will take over, working with the new coaches. We will find a way, in and around the senior coaches, to make sure that we get our campaign back on track.”
Marutlulle thanked the Bulls for being afforded the opportunity to further his skills and said he was looking at the bigger picture when deciding to relinquish the coaching reins.
“I am thankful for the opportunity to have been given the privilege of leading this Currie Cup side,” he said. “As a former player and now coach, I am and will always be a custodian of this great franchise and I believe that this is what is necessary for us to move forward.”
Still supporting Marutlulle
Bulls chief executive Edgar Rathbone reiterated his organisation’s commitment to supporting and equipping Marutlulle with all the necessary skills to see him become a world-class coach.
“This is part of the ongoing review of the current structures we have at Loftus and should not be viewed as an isolated incident,” he said.
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