Jake White after near-death experience: 'I see things completely differently now'

Following a dangerous health scare in which he was hospitalised and required surgery, Bulls coach Jake White is on the comeback trail with renewed vigour.

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He has a new outlook, too, one in which he wants his players and supporters to appreciate the joy that the game of rugby brings.

But the desire to win still burns bright as well.

“I see things completely differently now," White said, almost a month after emergency surgery and a period in intensive care to save him from a blood clot caused problems with his small intestine.

"Rugby is fantastic, and working in professional sport and coaching in a league like the Vodacom URC is a privilege.

"I'm still driven to be competitive, and I never want to be in a place where I'm doing this job for the sake of it. But, after this experience, I'm working with a completely different framework on how to motivate players and how to get balance in life.

"Life experiences like these really make you grow as a coach. As much as the game, technology and coaching methods have changed considerably in recent years, an experience like this greatly helps you to coach better because the perspective it provides means you talk differently - from a place of life experience.”

While White still has the drive and desire to take the Bulls towards the URC and Champions Cup titles, his health scare has given him clarity on how to order his life.

"Look, the doctor told me that the first question I asked as I came out of the theatre was, 'Did the Stormers win?'," said White.

“I went in while they were playing Glasgow, and the reason I wanted to know was because of the implications to our campaign and because of my competitive edge. I will