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The Blue Bulls Company announce Wessel du Plessis as the new head of junior rugby

Wessel du Plessis says he is looking forward to working with the young talent at Loftus.
Wessel du Plessis says he is looking forward to working with the young talent at Loftus.
Image: @BlueBullsRugby/Twitter

The Blue Bulls Company (BCCo) have announced Wessel du Plessis as the new head of junior rugby as Jake White's revitalisation plans continue at Loftus.

The 35-year-old former Grey College 1st XV coach represented the Free State Cheetahs at Under-20 and Sevens level before injuries curtailed his playing career and he turned to coaching.

Du Plessis said his desire is to make an immediate impact with the Bulls junior players in preparing them for the rigours of senior rugby.

“I’m passionate about helping young rugby players realise their potential and being able to do that within a professional environment such as the Vodacom Bulls is just the cherry on top‚” he said.

“The junior structures at Loftus Versfeld are impressive while the players are of an exceptional quality as evident by Loftus being the current home to the SA Rugby U21 and U19 Championship trophies.

"I’m looking forward to working with the next generation of Vodacom Bulls players and a heartfelt thank you must be given to the BCCo for this opportunity‚” said Du Plessis.

White said although the Bulls are the flagship team at Loftus‚ emphasis must also be placed on grooming the next generation of Super Rugby stars.

“Creating a winning culture starts at the bottom and it is important to invest in the future of Bulls rugby.

"When I joined the Bulls family I stated my intention to improve the schools and club rugby structures‚ and appointing a coach of Du Plessis' calibre is a step in the right direction.

"I look forward to working with Du Plessis as the Vodacom Bulls look to the future‚” said White.

In 2010 Du Plessis returned to Grey College as a teacher.

He was appointed the 1st XV coach in 2014 and they continued to dominate the South African school rugby scene under his tutelage.

His abilities were recognised by SA Rugby and he was appointed head coach of the SA Schools A team earlier in 2020 before the season was shelved due to the Covid-19 pandemic.ldings.