Assistant coach Rossouw to leave Bulls for CT

Pretoria based Super Rugby franchise the Bulls have confirmed that assistant coach Pieter Rossouw will not be renewing his contract with the Blue Bulls Company and he will return to Cape Town.

Reports surfaced early on Monday that Rossouw who joined the Bulls in 2008 was planning to return to Cape Town as his children were entering high school and to pursue other business interests.

Rossouw played a key role in getting the Bulls to adopt the ELV rules and in the Bulls Super Rugby titles in 2009 and 2010.

The Bulls have now confirmed his departure and coach Frans Ludeke said that Rossouw was of great value to the Bulls and Blue Bulls over many years, with a big number of players graduation to international stars under his tutelage.

“Pieter has played a valuable role in shaping our backline play and general ability on attack. The trophies and tournaments we have won with him on board and the number of tries we have scored speaks for itself and will always be a great testimony of his contribution to the Bulls cause. We thank him for that. I know that Pieter will be successful in future endeavours as well.”

Blue Bulls Company CEO Barend van Graan confirmed that the process of appointing a successor has already started.

“We have a number of candidates that we are looking at and will make the necessary announcements when contracts are in place, no further comments will be made until such a time.”

As soon as the news of Rossouw’s departure to Cape Town broke he was immediately linked to the Stormers who will lose their coach Allister Coetzee to Japan at the end of the season.

It is however not known yet where Rossouw plans to work after his contracts ends at the end of the Currie Cup season.