Bulls name heavyweight coaches for women’s team

JOHANNESBURG – The Blue Bulls Company has sent a strong signal of intent for this year’s SA Rugby Women’s Premier Division competition with the appointment of their coaching staff.

The franchise announced the highly-rated Hayden Groepes, and former Springbok Women’s captain Mandisa Williams, as the respective head coach and assistant coach of the Bulls Daisies team.

The duo has signed three-year agreements to take charge of the women’s team, which recently took the big step of awarding 35 players professional contracts for the first time.

Expectations of Groepes are great given his track record of success with the Bulls under-19 and under-21 men’s teams by the age of 36.

Williams holds extensive experience in the women’s game, having previously coached the Border Ladies team to six Premier Division titles between 2013 and 2022.

Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone says the commitment to the women’s team is a long-term one and that they want to be at the forefront of the sport’s growth in South Africa.

“The reality is that women’s rugby is going to grow and we want to be the forerunner with that. Whether it grows only in South Africa or it grows on an international level like the URC, we want to be there. We want [to provide] the blueprint for other provinces on how to get there,” Rathbone said.

Rathbone conceded that although the franchise supports the principle of equal pay, due to commercial factors, such as broadcast deals and a lack of sponsorship revenue, there is a discrepancy in what they’re able to pay their female players, who earn on average 10% of what senior players in the men’s team earn.

However, the women’s team would have the same access to training and playing facilities, nutrition, medical assistance and flights, he said.

The SA Women’s Premier Division kicks off in April.