Johan Ackermann, the new sheriff in town for the Vodacom Bulls, has hit the ground running with a hefty task: turning near misses into trophies. After taking the reins from Jake White, who led the team to three Vodacom URC finals in four seasons without a win, Ackermann is no stranger to the bitter taste of second place. His previous stints saw him guiding the Lions to consecutive Super Rugby finals and taking Gloucester to a European Challenge Cup final, with all ventures ending just shy of victory.
Ackermann, refreshingly candid about his track record, shared,
"My track record in finals isn’t great – I’ve lost Super Rugby and European finals – so I’m not going to pretend I know the missing 1%,"
He continued, "Sometimes it’s one pass, one refereeing decision. The Springboks won a World Cup with three one-point wins. If any of those had gone the other way, people would be asking what was missing."Since landing back in South Africa, Ackermann has been a whirlwind of activity—planning, meeting, and strategizing. He's taking a studied approach to the myriad of competitions the Bulls are juggling, from the URC to the European Champions Cup and the domestic Currie Cup.
Ackermann noted, "In Super Rugby, the schedule was more predictable. Now you have to consider how and when to rotate players, especially around Champions Cup games." He's leaning on his team, including strength and conditioning coach Andre Volsteedt, to navigate the challenges of travel and player management.
The Bulls' new coach is particularly focused on making a splash in the Champions Cup, where South African teams have struggled.
"We'll be as strong as we can for those games, especially the first one against defending champions Bordeaux Begles at Loftus on 6 December,"
he said, acknowledging the constraints of player rest protocols and injuries.Ackermann believes his diverse coaching résumé, which includes stints in England and Japan, has equipped him to handle the complexities of modern rugby. He emphasized the importance of being true to oneself while being receptive to others' input—a philosophy he hopes will resonate within the Bulls' setup.
With a mix of humility and resolve, Ackermann is poised to lead the Bulls not just to another final, but beyond—to lift the silverware that has eluded them so narrowly in recent years.