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IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
The Springbok who kept coming back — the making of new Bulls coach Johan Ackermann
Johan Ackermann was named new Bulls coach this past week. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix In 2001, the Cats rugby team was on a Super 12 tour in Australia. On the rowdy bus trip to a training session, something was said that annoyed Johan Ackermann. When the bus broke out in laughter at the offending remark, Ackermann quietly got up and walked to the front of the bus, took the microphone, and sternly said in Afrikaans: 'Make a queue. I don't want to go looking for anyone.' No one moved and the journey continued in reverent silence. That encapsulates the presence commanded by a giant who was mostly gentle, but not always ... 🚨 Official: Johan Ackermann is the new Head Coach of the Vodacom Bulls! 🐃 A former Vodacom Bulls player, Springbok and 3x SA Coach of the Year 🏆 💬 'His blood is blue.' 💬 'A dream come true.' FULL PRESS RELEASE: — Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) July 16, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading And that reminds me of a Sharks training session I watched in 2005. The forwards were embroiled in a robust mauling session. Suddenly, there was a mighty bellow and from the centre of the maul, players were flung in all directions, like toothpicks, until there was just Johan Ackermann, the epitome of the Incredible Hulk. Except his face was red, not green. Somebody (surely mistakenly) had grabbed the big man in the nether region, and the response was volcanic. Ackermann was from the old school, a throwback to the amateur era of Springbok invincibility when rugby was a peace-time form of warfare, a theatre in which men aspired to the virtues of courage, loyalty and brotherhood. Johan Ackermann during his playing days for the Springboks. Ackermann played 13 Test for SA. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Men like Ackermann, who was an anachronism in the modern era, where many are pampered prima donnas. Consider that this guy's career spanned an incredible two decades – his final match, for the Sharks against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in 2008, was 20 years after he had made his debut on the same ground for Northern Transvaal Under-20. He had shoulder surgery four times, knee surgery twice, a serious neck problem, and a two-year suspension for use of a banned substance. He had careers with the Bulls, Lions, Cats, Sharks and Griquas, and played club rugby in Italy and England. He had three separate Springbok careers, with five-year exiles in between each stint. He was the oldest man to play for the Springboks (37) until overtaken by Victor Matfield and Schalk Brits (both 38). After finishing at the Sharks, for good measure, he played two seasons of club rugby for Cape Town club Hamiltons. Canan Moodie with the unthinkable... Bumped off Ox Nche 🤯 Who wins that rematch? 👇@Vodacom #URC — Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) July 17, 2025 Like that Old Man River in the famous song about the Mississippi, Ackermann kept rolling on, occasionally tumbling down waterfalls, recovering to shoot the rapids. So Ackermann's career went full circle — he tapered off at club rugby, which was where he started with Pretoria Police after finishing school in Benoni in 1987. 'And what days they were,' he told me in 2009. 'We used to eat steak and chips on a Friday night before a game, washed down with beer. Now it is Powerade and pasta! 'I had no rugby pedigree when I started but found myself in a Police team that was packed with Bulls,' he recalled. 'There was tremendous camaraderie, and that is why I chose to finish at club level, so that my family could experience the fun of a Saturday afternoon at the club, with the kids kicking a ball around and the braai afterwards. 'I wish more youngsters would continue with rugby after school so that they can experience the social side of rugby.' Ackermann's early days in Pretoria's unforgiving Carlton Cup moulded him into a no-quarter-given type of lock. 'Half the armed forces were stationed in Pretoria at that time and club rugby was bloody fierce,' he recalled. 'You had to dish it out and you had to take it. If the opposition wavered, you had them. That was how we won the games against the students — we won the fights,' he laughed. But this Sherman tank ploughing through the opposition is at odds with the silent giant off the field. 'When I put on the jersey, it is like putting on armour for battle,' he explained. 'Afterwards, I take the armour off and shake hands. But for the 80 minutes, the opposition is the enemy and they must lose. Simple! 'Playing rugby is more than sport,' he continued. 'It is about loyalty to your mates and the spectators. Can you look in the mirror if you have not given your all?' It was on August 3, 1996, that Ackermann's life changed. It was the Springboks versus the Wallabies in Bloemfontein in a Tri-Nations match. Ackermann was playing in his fourth Test. At 26, he had the rugby world before him until he was stretchered off with a knee injury. 'I had an operation and the prognosis was that I could play again in three months, but after three weeks the knee was so sore I could hardly walk,' he said gravely. 'A biokineticist at the Police College said he had worked with people recovering from accidents and used a medication that 'kick-started' muscle recovery. I used this stuff just once because it did nothing for the knee, and I forgot about it.' At the beginning of 1997, Ackermann was in a Bok squad announced by Andre Markgraaff for fitness testing. 'Two weeks later I was told I had tested positive for a banned substance.' Ackermann had been given bad advice at a time when sport was still waking up to the perils of steroid use. 'It was a very dark time for me,' he said. 'A two-year sentence for something I used once and which did not help? I was devastated, an emotional wreck at first and then an angry bull. The loss of earnings did not bother me. It was missing out on playing the All Blacks and the British Lions of '97. It was agony to know I should have been part of it, but for a horrible misunderstanding.' The disappointment gave way to a hunger to play again for the Boks. 'I felt obligated to my family, friends and fans to play again. There was unfinished business. I wanted to prove that making the Boks had not been a fluke.' Ackermann was offered a lifeline by former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains, who coached the Lions and Cats in 2000 and 2001. 'Laurie brought discipline to our rugby and our good form helped me to get picked by (Bok coach) Harry Viljoen, and my first Test back (the 20-15 win over France in Durban in 2001) brought immense relief.' Ackermann played four Tests before dislocating a shoulder, underwent surgery and then dislocated it again. 'I was down and out. Nobody wanted to take a chance on my suspect shoulder. Then Andre Markgraaff at Griquas took a gamble and signed me for two years.' Markgraaff believed in Ackermann. He gave him his first Springbok cap in 1996, persuaded Viljoen to pick him in 2001 and he took him in when nobody wanted him in 2003. So in 2004 and 2005, Ackermann played in the Currie Cup for Griquas and during the Super 12 season he played club rugby in Italy. Another former Springbok coach, Rudolf Straeuli, offered Ackermann a contract with the Sharks and by the end of 2006, Ackermann was once more a Springbok under Jake White. 'The third time was like the first time. We toured the UK and Ireland, which I had never done before, and to play at Twickenham for the first time and at that stage of my career was very special.' In two decades, Ackermann went through it all: injuries, suspension, small unions, big unions, a little club in Italy and Northampton Saints in England, and three stints with the Boks. After all of this, what means the most to him? 'Each time I was handed a Springbok jersey I felt overwhelming pride, and if my career can inspire even one player to fight back from adversity, I will have served South African rugby.' Ackermann has had a highly successful career as a coach. He pulled the Lions out of a nosedive and guided them to three Super Rugby finals. He also led Gloucester to success in the English Premiership and coached the Red Hurricanes in Japan. This is an extract from Mike Greenaway's best-selling book, The Fireside Springbok.
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Former Lions star backs Ackermann to win trophies at Bulls
Kwagga Smith said Johan Ackermann has the ability to unite players under a single purpose. Johan Ackermann (Coaching Consultant) during the South Africa Academy U20 training session at Van der Stel Fields on February 05, 2025 in Stellenbosch, South Africa. (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images) Springbok star Kwagga Smith said he has much respect for his former Lions coach, Johan Ackermann, and believes he will win trophies now that he is at the Bulls. Ackermann joined the Pretoria union following the departure of Jake White, who had coached the Bulls for five years. White and the Bulls mutually agreed to part ways after he fell out of favour with players and coaches. During his tenure, White helped the Bulls win the Super Rugby Unlocked title, Rainbow Cup SA title, and reach three United Rugby Championship finals and one quarter-final. Ackermann, by contrast, has been named SA Coach of the Year three times (2014–2016). He guided the Lions to Super Rugby finals in 2016 and 2017 before joining Gloucester in England. He also coached in Japan and, most recently, has consulted for the Junior Boks. 'He's the right person at the right time,' said Willem Strauss, president of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, while CEO Edgar Rathbone also gave the new coach his support. Smith: Ackermann will unite Bulls Smith, who played under Ackermann during those golden years in Joburg, echoed those thoughts. 'I think he is a really brilliant coach,' Smith said. 'I enjoyed working with him. I was a youngster and played under him for a long while. 'Unlucky we couldn't get a Super Rugby title, but he's a really good coach. I think he's a coach who has the ability to get a group together all aligned for the same goal. I think that's really important.' Smith spent his first five years of professional rugby at the Lions before leaving for Japan in the same year Ackermann departed. Still, he believes 'Coach Ackers' has the managerial prowess to secure the support of players and translate that to performances on the field. 'He'll probably make a big success of his career at the Bulls. I think the players that are there are really brilliant. I think he will be able to get them aligned and hopefully win a few trophies. I am really excited to see him there and see how he does.' Ackermann described the move to the Bulls as a dream come true. 'The moment I received the call I got goose bumps,' he said. 'It still feels too good to be true. I'm like a Grade One going to school for the first time. I'm so excited; it's a privilege and an honour.'
IOL News
6 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Ackers' return: Bulls move will reignite a legacy that once roared in Jozi
Former Lions and Gloucester Johan Ackermann was named as Bulls coach on Wednesday, replacing Jake White. Photo: AFP Image: AFP COMMENT On the wall of my home office – past the cluttered table, a mess of papers full of stats and books on sport – hangs a poster I designed for The Star in 2017. It never saw the light of day. Although it was submitted to the Lions Rugby Union for consideration and use in their stadium, a simple error on our part – using 'Ellis Park' instead of 'Emirates Airline Park' – denied its presence at the Super Rugby final between the Joburgers and the Crusaders that day. Its message was straightforward – one that recalled a glorious era in Lions history. 'Ackers, thanks for the memories,' it read, with a smiling image of Johan Ackermann in the corner and the text flowing around him on a field of red. 🚨 Official: Johan Ackermann is the new Head Coach of the Vodacom Bulls! 🐃 A former Vodacom Bulls player, Springbok and 3x SA Coach of the Year 🏆 💬 'His blood is blue.' 💬 'A dream come true.' FULL PRESS RELEASE: — Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) July 16, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading That match – ultimately lost by the Lions – was Ackermann's final one in charge before his departure to English club Gloucester. While the build-up to the sold-out showpiece was filled with anticipation, a tinge of regret lingered deep within the Pride's collective gut. Under Ackermann, the Lions had returned to the fore of South African rugby. He took a group of misfits and, alongside Swys de Bruin, moulded them into something quite extraordinary. He led the Lions to an emphatic Currie Cup title in 2015 and two consecutive Super Rugby finals. For his efforts, he was named SA Rugby Coach of the Year three times. I would argue that he changed the way South African franchises approached the game. And although nearly a decade has passed since his departure from Doornfontein, his influence still hangs like a spectre in those halls – a ghostly reminder of the identity the Lions are still chasing. Ackermann's legacy transcends the Lions. Malcolm Marx, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Elton Jantjies and Faf de Klerk – all stars of the double World Cup-winning Springbok era – are products of the Ackermann system. The poster that never saw the light of day in 2017 heralding Johan Ackermann's tenure at the Lions Rugby Union. Photo: Morgan Bolton Image: Morgan Bolton So, it was with great interest that we learned on Wednesday of his return to the local game – as head coach of the Bulls, no less, after the sudden exit of Jake White. The were murmurs, of course, that this would be the case, so it was not a complete surprise. Nevertheless Ackermann, capped 13 times for the Springboks, began his playing career in Pretoria before stints with the Lions and Sharks. In that sense, this move feels like a natural return. 'He's the right person at the right time,' said Willem Strauss, president of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, via a statement. 'This was always meant to be,' Strauss added. 'His management of people and ability to drive culture are renowned.' It was a sentiment echoed by Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone: 'Ackermann is not just an outstanding coach; he is a leader who lives and breathes the values of this union. 'His reputation for forging powerful team cultures, developing players to their full potential, and delivering results at the highest level, is well proven.' Few would disagree. Lions fans certainly wouldn't. Unlike previous roles, where he had to build a team, instill a culture, and implement a playing philosophy, the Bulls already offer him a robust foundation. He inherits a squad packed with talent – Springboks like Wilco Louw, Gerhard Steenekamp, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ruan Nortjé, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Handré Pollard, Jan Serfontein, Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse. If Ackermann can get the old guard to buy in and the new blood to follow, there's every reason to believe the Bulls will continue to dominate in South Africa, the United Rugby Championship, and even the understated pan-European competitions. His recent labours with the Baby Boks as a consultant, are a clear indication of his impact. 'The Bulls are already there – now I must make them grow and succeed even more,' Ackermann said, also in the statement, and who would bet against him doing just that. So, while we should all be thrilled to see his expertise return to our shores, there's a part of me that aches. As a Lions fan, I can't help but feel a pang of loss – not just for what was, but for what could have been had he stayed. But as a rugby man, I know this is the right call. Ackermann's return to Pretoria isn't just a full-circle moment – it's a timely one. The Bulls have the talent. Now, they have a reinvigorated vision to look forward to. He built something beautiful in Johannesburg. Now he has the chance to finish the job – this time, in blue.
IOL News
6 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Johan Ackermann takes the reins as head coach of the Bulls
Former Lions coach Johan Ackemann will succeed Jake White as coach of the Bulls. Image: BackpagePix Johan Ackermann secured the top job as head coach of the Bulls after the South African franchise named him as Jake White's successor on Wednesday. Ackermann, currently assisting the Junior Springboks at the World Rugby U20 Championship as a consultant, will formally be unveiled next week by the Blue Bulls Company. The former Springbok recently returned home after coaching in England and Japan. Before that, he took the Lions to three consecutive Super Rugby finals in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Now, though, he will be in the blue colours of the Bulls who have been putting together a formidable squad ahead of the new United Rugby Championship and European Champions Cup tournaments. 🚨 Official: Johan Ackermann is the new Head Coach of the Vodacom Bulls! 🐃 A former Vodacom Bulls player, Springbok and 3x SA Coach of the Year 🏆 💬 'His blood is blue.' 💬 'A dream come true.' FULL PRESS RELEASE: — Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) July 16, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'I got goosebumps when I received the call, it is a dream come true,' Ackermann said from Italy where the Junior Boks are currently preparing for the final against New Zealand. 'It still feels too good to be true. I'm like a Grade 1 going to school for the first time. I'm so excited; it's a privilege and an honour. It's a great union with wonderful traditions and supporters. Eighty percent of my friends are Bulls supporters. 'The Bulls have been successful for so many years, and now I have that challenge and I would like to thank the Board for giving me that opportunity. It's a bit different from my previous roles where I had to help build teams up. The Bulls are already there, now I must make them grow and succeed even more.' 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: The Vodacom Bulls have confirmed the appointment of Johan Ackermann as head coach 🐂#SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 16, 2025 Ackermann was crowned South African Coach of the Year three times and brings a wealth of experience to Loftus Versfeld. After the Bulls recently stuttered for the third time in the URC finals, the pressure will be on him in his first season in Pretoria. However, he will embrace the task at hand. Edgar Rathbone, CEO of the Bulls, said they are happy to welcome Ackermann home. 'The Bulls are a club built on legacy and ambition, and with Johan at the helm, we are confident our future will be shaped by excellence, resilience, and unity. This appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Bulls rugby.'
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
‘A dream come true,' says Johan Ackermann as he is appointed Bulls coach
The Bulls have moved swiftly to appoint vastly experienced Johan Ackermann as head coach. Ackermann arrives at Loftus to replace Jake White, who left at the beginning of the month. The new coach comes with a wealth of elite-level experience having coached both locally and overseas. The three-time South African coach of the year is currently in Italy, where he is assisting the Junior Springboks ahead of the final of Saturday's World Rugby Under-20 Championship against New Zealand. He described the appointment as a dream come true. 'The moment I received the call I got goosebumps — it still feels too good to be true. I am like a grade one [pupil] going to school for the first time. I'm so excited, it's a privilege and an honour,' Ackermann was quoted as saying in a Bulls statement. 🚨 Official: Johan Ackermann is the new Head Coach of the Vodacom Bulls! 🐃 A former Vodacom Bulls player, Springbok and 3x SA Coach of the Year 🏆 💬 'His blood is blue.' 💬 'A dream come true.' FULL PRESS RELEASE: #ForeverBlue — Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) July 16, 2025 'It's a great union with wonderful tradition and supporters. Eighty percent of my friends are Bulls supporters. The Bulls have been successful for so many years, and now I have that challenge and I would like to thank the board for giving me that opportunity. 'It's a bit different to my previous roles where I had to help build teams up. The Bulls are already there, now I must make them grow and succeed even more.' Blue Bulls Rugby Union president Willem Strauss said Ackerman is 'the right person at the right time.' 'He's a Carlton League [Pretoria club rugby] legend, he played his first Test at Loftus, he played for the Bulls and his blood is blue. This was always meant to be. His management of people and ability to drive culture are renowned.' Strauss' sentiments were shared by Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone. 'Johan Ackermann is not just an outstanding coach, he is a leader who lives and breathes the values of this union. His reputation for forging powerful team cultures, developing players to their full potential and delivering results at the highest level is well proven. 'The Bulls are a club built on legacy and ambition and with Johan at the helm, we are confident our future will be shaped by excellence, resilience, and unity. 'This appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Bulls rugby and we are thrilled to welcome him home.' The Bulls said Ackermann's 'journey through rugby is one of resilience, transformation and authority'. 'Born in Benoni in 1970, he forged a robust playing career as a lock and earned 13 Test caps for the Springboks between 1996 and 2007. 'His relentless physicality and grit made him a formidable presence and his final appearance at age 37 crowned him the oldest debutant in Springbok history.'
