Willem Strauss is the New BULLS Rugby Union President

Willem Strauss is hardly elected as the new President of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and already you see his new way of thinking popping up everywhere.

His 28 years of rugby experience will come in handy in his mission to make Loftus cool again for supporters of the iconic brand, the Vodacom Blue Bulls.

Strauss believes that supporters have been deprived of the joy they deserve during the past seven years as the last major title came in 2010 when the Bulls won the Super 14 title at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto against the Stormers.

The big reasons for the under-par performance during the past few years is that Rugby Unions need to start thinking out of the box, as the old ways of doing things are just not working. Club rugby is in dire need of stimulation in order to get members again which in turn will get supporters in the province excited about their beloved team as well as the sport in South Africa again!

Strauss, coach John Mitchell and the BBRU club management already started connecting through a series of Bulls Pro Team training sessions at the clubs, management meetings moved to club venues and a R50 000 incentive for clubs winning their leagues.

One of the biggest issues in the past has been the massive amount of amateur player signings. In future, the Bulls organisation will be looking to manage rugby better from school level and they are looking to sign 40 to 45 professional players whereafter the rest should be fed by club structures and other feeding teams in the province.

Strauss and his team are in the process to finalise all planning in order to support the next winning generation of Blue Bulls in the most effective manner possible. The first order of business is to get the 25 to 35-year-old fan excited about coming to Loftus again!

 

STORY: JAY J BOTES / @jayjbotes