Jake proud of Bulls' place in history-making night for SA rugby: 'We did wonders for our country'

Bulls mentor Jake White, despite defeat, could still appreciate his team being part of a history-making night for South African rugby in the United Rugby Championship (URC) final.

Local rugby's maiden foray into Europe culminated in a boisterous climax at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday where a 31 000 capacity crowd dominated by Stormers support basked in their side ending their international trophy drought.

For White, an unapologetic traditionalist, it felt like a Currie Cup final in its heyday.

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"This was like old Currie Cup rugby for me. I was sitting on the bus and felt I'm witnessing those days again, when I watched how Naas [Botha] and co were playing," he said after the match, won 18-13 by the Stormers.

"I know it's not a Currie Cup game and I'm happy to be playing in the URC. The two teams that played here did wonders for our country from a rugby point of view."

The former World Cup-winning Springbok coach also highlighted how fickle the fortunes of this inaugural campaign were at times, pointing to initial doubts over how beneficial the move would be for the South African game after its franchises struggled to adapt.

The Bulls themselves were languishing in 15th position overall at one stage after losing five of their opening six matches.

It’s a joyous occasion in Cape Town as the Stormers are your inaugural URC winners! @Sport24news 18-13 they win it. pic.twitter.com/lZumTZdkD7

"Let's be fair, 10 weeks ago we thought this was a terrible competition. Look what’s happened now," said White.

"The model is good and I can see people are happy with the project. From a spectacle that’s what we want, we want people coming out