Johan Ackermann has been appointed as the new head coach of the Bulls, officially taking over from Jake White, who recently left the Pretoria-based rugby union. The announcement was made on July 16, 2025, marking a significant move for the three-time South African Coach of the Year[1][3][6].
Ackermann, a former Bulls and Springbok lock, is renowned for his successful coaching stints both in South Africa and abroad. He previously led the Lions to a Super Rugby final and has had coaching roles with Gloucester in England, as well as the Red Hurricanes and Urayasu D-Rocks in Japan. More recently, he was involved in the Junior Springboks setup[1].
This change in leadership follows weeks of speculation, during which the Bulls board reportedly interviewed Ackermann and Franco Smith as top candidates to replace Jake White. Ackermann’s ability to manage players and enhance team performance was cited as one of his major strengths by Bulls decision-makers[2]. Despite interest in other high-profile coaches like Jacques Nienaber and Johann van Graan, both were unavailable due to existing contracts elsewhere[2].
The Bulls officially confirmed Ackermann’s appointment across multiple platforms on July 16. He is tasked with driving the team forward into the next era, with hopes high given his proven record of success[5][8].
References
- [1] Ackermann named as new Bulls coach – OFM
- [2] Bulls’ shortlist to replace Jake White a two-horse race – Planet Rugby
- [3] Johan Ackermann is new boss of the Bulls – The Citizen
- [5] Johan Ackermann named head coach at Vodacom Bulls | SuperSport
- [6] JOHAN ACKERMANN NAMED HEAD COACH AT VODACOM BULLS
- [8] Johan Ackermann takes the reins as head coach of the Bulls – IOL