Bulls win will create more excitement: White

Bulls Director of Rugby, Jake White, says a win for the Bulls in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship final against Leinster at Croke Park would be a catalyst for South Africans to “buy in” to the competition.

Speaking to the media at his team announcement press conference, White underlined how a maiden URC title for the Pretoria-based franchise could shift perception at home and solidify support for the cross-hemisphere competition, which was joined by the South African teams late in 2020.

“Winning matters,” he said. “I’ve coached in Super Rugby and reached a final with the Brumbies, and I can tell you – this is just as big.”

“People didn’t buy into Super Rugby at first either. They didn’t know who the guys from Otago or Waikato were, and over time they saw the value. It’s the same with the URC. They still don’t fully understand what counts as URC or EPCR [matches].”

“We need to win this tournament as it could help our public take it more seriously,” said White.

“I’ve got some messages from back home, and it’s from people in Cape Town who are supporting the Bulls, and people in Durban who are supporting the Bulls,” he added.

Saturday will mark the Bulls’ third URC final in four seasons and the first to be staged outside of South Africa.