Johan Ackermann has taken a pragmatic view about the loss of key players at the end of the season.
Among the big-name departures are Springboks Ruan Nortjé and Kurt-Lee Arendse, who are set for moves to Japan, while experienced prop Wilco Louw will head to the Stormers.
Ackermann says the squad has enjoyed being on tour, with the players knowing the squad will inevitably change as key players prepare to move on.
“We can’t predict the future,” said Ackermann. “This team will never be the same again, and the same goes for every other union and every other team, there are players who’re either retiring or moving on.
“It’s the reality of professional sport.”
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The Bulls have built a powerful core in recent seasons, with several Springboks forming the backbone of their pack and backline. But Ackermann made it clear that retaining top performers in the modern game is a constant challenge and doesn’t point to unhappiness in the squad.
“When I arrived here I knew that some players were moving on,” he said. “It didn’t matter how we tried to change the culture or circumstances, it was the decisions they had made for their careers. Sometimes it feels to me that people look for reasons to point to unhappiness in the camp.”
Louw’s departure, in particular, underlines how personal factors can influence big decisions.
“Wilco made no secret of the fact that he wanted to be on his farm in the Cape no matter what the Bulls were offering him,” Ackermann added.
ACKERS: Reality is Bulls must win
While the exits will reshape the squad, Ackermann believes it is simply part of the cycle faced by every professional team.
“Every union that have players who’ve performed at the top of their game over a period of time knows that those players will be in demand.”
Nortjé will once again call the shots at lineout time when the Bulls take on the Dragons in Newport on Friday night.
Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
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