Disappointing season not all on Jake White, says Bulls president

Blue Bulls Rugby Union (BBRU) president Willem Strauss has implored the team's fan base to keep the faith, despite a difficult season.

Last Saturday's 39-10 Currie Cup semi-final loss to the Cheetahs ended a largely forgettable season for the Bulls. 

The Bulls limped out of the United Rugby Championship at the quarter-final stage when they were comfortably swatted aside 33-21 by the Stormers in Cape Town, while they lost 33-9 away to Toulouse in the Champions Cup round of 16.

5 talking points | Currie Cup semis: 'Annus horribilis' as Bulls, Sharks flop when it matters most

After sweeping all before them a few seasons ago, director of rugby Jake White's charges have found the going tough of late.

White has copped criticism, with a few pundits feeling the team's game plan is outdated and that they lack X-factor.

Strauss, though, feels it would be wrong to lay all the blame at White's door.

"I am not shying away from the unfortunate truth that the senior team has had a very disappointing season, but to single out the head coach with often harsh criticism is not only counter-productive, but the easy way out," he said.

"At the Bulls we believe in collective ownership and accountability. We win together, and we lose together," Strauss said in a statement released by the union."

Strauss added that the 50-week season, which saw the top SA franchises compete in the European Champions Cup, had taken its toll on the squad.

"How taxing 2023 has been on body and mind is evident from the fact that the first year in which the four SA URC provinces participated in three different competitions, none of them managed to win a single title! That is no coincidence." 

Strauss said he understood the anger of Bulls fans, but noted that, overall, the union