Springbok centre Jan Serfontein says he’s excited to work under Johan Ackermann after returning to Loftus on a new contract.
Serfontein: Easy call to rejoin Bulls
Springbok centre Jan Serfontein says he’s excited to work under Johan Ackermann after returning to Loftus on a three-year deal
Serfontein represented the Vodacom Bulls from 2013 to 2017 before heading to France for a five-year stint with Montpellier.
The 32-year-old centre signed his new contract when Jake White was still in charge at the Bulls, but White has since been replaced by Ackermann, who will be unveiled to the media on Wednesday after helping the Junior Springboks win the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy.
I’m excited to work with him and have heard good things about him,” Serfontein told Rapport. “He’s achieved good results with the teams he’s worked with.
The fact that the Bulls have done so well in the last few years made the decision to come here much easier,” he added. “I wanted to be part of the team. It’s a strong team and a strong group.”
Serfontein had initially been set to rejoin the Bulls in 2024, but his return was delayed by more than a year due to his family’s French citizenship applications.
“It was the right decision to stay there for the extra year to make sure of our French citizenship,” he said.
According to Rapport, Ackermann can keep them in their current roles, redeploy them within the Bulls structures, or request that CEO Edgar Rathbone negotiate a buyout of their contracts.
He will also need to review the rest of the URC management team, including assistant coaches Werner Kruger, Jean Tiedt, Kennedy Tsimba and Phiwe Nomlomo, as well as key support staff across medical, technical and logistical departments.
While Ackermann’s job title is “head coach” rather than “director of rugby”, the Bulls have confirmed that he has the same authority as White did. That includes overseeing all professional and junior structures at Loftus.
“There’s no difference in responsibility,” Rathbone told Rapport. “It’s just a different title.”
