New Vodacom Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann has some big calls to make.

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Ackers to decide assistant coaches’ fate

Ackermann arrives at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday after serving as a consultant for the Junior Springboks, who lifted the World Rugby U20 Championship trophy in Italy on Saturday.

Most importantly, the 55-year-old must decide whether to retain backs coach Chris Rossouw and forwards coach Andries Bekker, both of whom are still contracted by the Bulls.

The duo reportedly clashed with former director of rugby Jake White, which contributed to his departure earlier this month.

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.”

Ackermann, who took over as head coach amid high expectations, has hinted at a possible shake-up following a season marked by inconsistency and underwhelming performances. Sources close to the team suggest that the head coach is keen to align the technical staff more closely with his strategic vision, which places a heavy emphasis on forward dominance, structured defense, and mental resilience.

“There’s always a time in every coaching cycle where you assess whether the group is still pulling in the same direction,” Ackers reportedly told insiders. “This isn’t about blaming individuals. It’s about ensuring we have the right people in the right roles moving forward.”