White names new co-captains to lead Bulls in URC campaign

Rising Springbok stars Ruan Nortje and Elrigh Louw have been named as the Bulls’ co-captains for the upcoming United Rugby Championship.

Both men have captained the Bulls before, but they will now officially take charge of the team in place of Marcell Coetzee, 33, who will continue to play for the URC runners-up of last season.

Both Nortje, 26, and Louw, 25, have been integral members of the Boks’ Rugby Championship campaign and will feature for the world champions in the final game of the competition, against Argentina in Mbombela on Saturday.

They will be available to play for the Bulls from next week.

‘Great leadership capabilities’

Jake White’s team open their URC challenge with a match against Edinburgh at 3pm on Saturday.

“We are in a good space as a club where we have a good balance of diverse leadership qualities among the players in our group. We have seen a number of the guys lead the team in some shape, way or form over the last season and that does not change because we have seen the value of having the voices of everyone in their different parts of the field,” said White about the official appointment of the team leaders.

“We have seen great leadership capabilities in both Ruan and Elrigh last season, which we are excited to see heading into the new season. The two of them will form a dynamic partnership as co-captains which will do our environment well.”

Regarding Coetzee, who also previously played for the Sharks and led the Bulls since his return to South Africa from Ulster in 2021, White said: “Marcell has been a phenomenal captain over the past few seasons. He has embodied the values of the badge, leading from the front in all spheres and we expect to see him continue to lead and mentor the younger guys because he is still an important part of our team.

“So the appointment of different leaders is not an indictment on him but the team’s succession strategy which is normal in professional sport.”

The Bulls lost to Glasgow Warriors in last season’s final at Loftus and will be hoping to go all the way this time, after also losing the final to the Stormers in season one of the competition, back in 2022.