Jake White signs up for Sharks

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 23, Brumbies Coach Jake White during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Brumbies from DHL Newlands on March 23, 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa Photo Luigi Bennett / Gallo Images

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 23, Brumbies Coach Jake White during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Brumbies from DHL Newlands on March 23, 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa Photo Luigi Bennett / Gallo Images

Published Oct 7, 2013

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Durban - Weeks of speculation became fact on Sunday when it was confirmed that former Springbok coach Jake White had signed a three-year deal to coach the Sharks.

Although he will start next season, he will immediately be involved with the team in their Currie Cup preparations in what will be an effective hand-over period with outgoing director of rugby Brendan Venter.

White was linked to the Sharks in the past few weeks after it emerged he no longer wanted to coach leading Australian team the Brumbies when he was overlooked for the position of Wallabies head coach.

But Sharks chief executive John Smit said he could not engage in discussions with his former mentor at the Boks until the Canberra team had formally released him.

They did late last week.

“Things moved very quickly and we are proud to announce that Jake is on board at the Sharks,” Smit said on Sunday.

White will in effect be the new head coach, taking over from Venter, who said he was close to completing his mission in Durban and would be happy to step back and let White take over, although he could play a consulting role.

“My relationship with the Sharks has been a difficult thing to explain, but John and I agreed on a handshake that I would give him a short term at the Sharks in which I would assess the situation, give advice and put structures in place,” Venter said.

“We are friends and I wanted to contribute, and the agreement was that I would be short-term but full-time in my commitment. I have a medical practice in the Cape and other responsibilities, but I gave John six months of hands-on advice to improve the Sharks.”

The Sharks are second on the Currie Cup table with one round to go before the semi-finals, so Venter has lived up to his billing. He has been an unmitigated success.

“I could see the Sharks needed more management personnel and we now have a new lineout coach in Albert van den Berg and a new defence coach in James Fleming, formerly of London Irish, (with another coach in Paul Antony of the Bulls Under-19s joining in January),” Venter said.

“The Sharks have immense potential and need a world-class director of rugby in the long term. There were two options in my opinion: Robbie Deans (former Wallabies and Crusaders coach) and Jake White. John said he respects my opinion and he would want a scenario where the chief executive and the coach could work well together, and we then agreed to approach Jake.”

Venter said he would remain hands-on until the end of the Currie Cup and White would come in this week in an observation role. Current assistants Brad Macleod-Henderson and Sean Everitt would also continue.

“I will introduce Jake to our structures and while he will not coach the team over the next few weeks, he will have our full support,” Venter said. “It is not about me, I’ve fulfilled my role, and it is not about Jake; it’s about the Sharks being equipped to fulfil their potential as one of the world’s leading brands.”

 

White said he had chosen the Sharks as the next chapter in his illustrious career, believing he could build on an already strong platform and take the team to a new level while keeping alive his hopes of one day coaching again at international level.

“The Brumbies were good for me and I appreciated the opportunity they gave me to get back into coaching,” said White, who did an excellent job in taking the Australian team to this year’s Super Rugby final. But he wanted to come home to South Africa, and wanted to be involved in a team that were going places following the rejuvenation at the Sharks.

“The Sharks are a phenomenal brand and you see that when you travel the world,” White said. “There is a unique rugby culture at Kings Park; it is a very professional set-up; there is a solid fan base and a lifestyle that is the envy of the rugby world. This was an opportunity I could never turn down.”

White, a former school teacher and the coach of the SA Under-21 team that won the IRB Championship in 2002, says he will focus on KZN school rugby and age-group rugby at the Sharks.

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The Mercury

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