Photo: Anton Geyser

Vodacom Bulls coach Nollis Marais on Monday announced his management team for the 2016 Vodacom Super Rugby season, with the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd also confirming the management teams for the rest of the Blue Bulls teams for next year.

Marais will take charge of his first season of Super Rugby with former Springboks loose forward Anton Leonard as his forwards coach and former Vodacom Blue Bulls backline coach David Manual as the backline coach.

Former Springbok Tim Dlulane continue in his role as team manager, as is baggage master, Elias Bennet. The technical team to assist the coaches are John-William Meyer and Divan Strydom, who will also act as kicking coaches. SARU Mobi-Unit member Louis Koen will assist them in this regard when needed.

Gary Botha (scrums and break down) and Pine Pienaar (defence) will be involved with both the Super Rugby and Currie Cup sides, as well as the junior sides in this capacity.

Dr. Herman Rossouw is the new team doctor for senior teams. Wernich Smith, Pieter du Plessis, Sanell Morgan, Khuliso Netshivhagani and Karabo Morokane will be utilised as physiotherapists for all the teams and Elzanne van Coller as masseuse.

As with the physiotherapists, the conditioning coaches will also operate in a group.

All condition will be done in partnership with SSL and PVM, with Neil du Plessis in charge.

Henri-Charl Terblanche, Shaun du Toit, Jacus Coetzee, Mark Nicholls and Ghafoer Luckan will assist, Lee-Anne Diab will be the sport scientist and practice coordinator and will help with the conditioning as well. Andries Kabinde will be assist all teams with all store room needs.

“The partnership with SSL will help us to make better use of all the conditioners,” explained BBC’s High Performance Manager, Xander Janse van Rensburg.

“We will be able to make the conditioners available to all the players, which will close down the ratio between conditioner and player considerably. We will be more effective because of the smaller groups,” said Janse van Rensburg.

“We also have an extra gymnasium, as SSL runs one from Loftus. All conditioners are involved with all teams and we will decide per season and per competition who will be involved with which team. Either way, it will still close the ration between the player/conditioner and make sure that everybody is well looked after.”

In another move, Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-21 coach, Hendré Marnitz, has been promoted to Currie Cup coach for 2016. He will be assisted by Denzil Frans (forwards) and Hayden Groepes (backs and technical). Nqubeku Zulu and Simon Dyidi will be team manager and baggage master in the first round of the Currie Cup and Dlulane and Bennet will take over in the second round. Zulu and Dyidi will then move to the Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-21’s.

Pote Human takes over from Marnitz and will coach the forwards. He will be assisted by former Springbok fullback, Bevin Fortuin, who will coach the backs, with Vainon Willis the new technical analyst.

Former Leopards coach Jaco Pienaar is the new Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-19 coach, with former Bulls player Dewey Swartbooi the new backs coach. Hendry Seerane is the team manager, Willis technical analyst and Akhona Felani the baggage master.

Karin Visser will be personal assistant to all the professional teams.

“We are restructuring our operational and logistical departments to make us more streamline and closer to each other,” Janse van Rensburg explained.

“This will also result in us pulling our amateur arm closer to us, which will strengthen our relationships with our clubs. In order to achieve that, we extended Werner de Beer’s responsibilities into a position of Coordinator: Professional Teams, Operational, Logistics and Amateur Rugby.”

Janse van Rensburg will, with Marais, focus on the structures around professional rugby.

“This includes all matters like contracting of players and scouting and all things outside ‘the four lines’. Nollis will handle all rugby related matters ‘inside the four lines’,” Janse van Rensburg explained.

“It is fantastic that we could achieve all of this with a strong representation of former players that can carry the Bulls culture into the future. Guys like Nollis, Anton, Gary, David, Tim, Hayden, Nqubeko, Vainon, Denzil and Dewey all came through the structures. Equally pleasing is the fact that we could honour our transformation goals as well, with 50% of our management team black.”

For more information, please contact Janse van Rensburg on 072 197 3136.

The management teams are:

Vodacom Bulls: 

Head Coach: Nollis Marais

Forwards: Anton Leonard

Backs: David Manuel

Technical: John-William Meyer and Divan Strydom

Team Manager: Tim Dlulane

Baggage Master: Elias Bennet

Vodacom Blue Bulls

Head Coach: Hendré Marnitz

Forwards: Denzil Frans

Back and Technical: Hayden Groepes

Team Manager Round One: Nqubeku Zulu

Baggage Master Round One: Simon Dyidi

Team Manager Round Two: Tim Dlulane

Baggage Master Round Two: Elias Bennet

Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-21:

Head Coach and Forwards: Pote Human

Backs: Bevin Fortuin

Technical: Vainon Willis

Team Manager: Nqubeko Zulu

Baggage Master: Simon Dyidi

Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-19

Head Coach and Forwards: Jaco Pienaar

Backs: Dewey Swartbooi

Technical: Vainon Willis

Team Manager: Hendy Seerane

Baggage Master:  Akhona Felani

Other:

Senior Team Doctor: Dr Herman Rossouw

Physiotherapists: Wernich Smith, Karabo Morokane, Pieter du Plessis, Sanell Morgan and Khuliso Netshivhagani

Masseuse: Elzanne van Coller

Conditioning coaches: Niel du Plessis, Henri-Charl Terblanche, Shaun du Toit, Jacus Coetzee, Mark Nicholls, Ghafoer Luckan

Sport scientist and practice coordinator (medical) and assistant conditioner: Lee-Anne Diab

Store Room Assistant: Andries Kabinde

Scrum and Breakdown Coach: Gary Botha

Defence Coach: Pine Pienaar

Psychologist: Dr Jannie Botha

• Dr. Org Strauss has resigned from his position as team doctor. Janse van Rensburg thanked him for years of dedicated and loyal service. “Org has been part of the team for eight years and shared the highs and lows of the team. He was a true team man and his contributions will be missed. We wish him well with his future endeavours.”