Blue Bulls confirms 2015 coaching staff

Following the appointment of Nollis Marais as head coach of the Vodacom Blue Bulls for the 2015 Absa Currie Cup season‚ the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd has confirmed the rest of the team's coaching staff.

Marais will also take charge of the forwards and he will be assisted by David Manuel as back-line coach‚ the company said.

Manuel‚ who was backline coach to the UP-Tuks Varsity Cup as well as the Vodacom Blue Bulls Vodacom Cup and Under-21 teams respectively since 2012‚ was named backline coach to the Varsity Cup Dream Team earlier this year. He was Head Coach of the Blue Bulls/Tuks Rugby Academy since 2007 till 2012.

The 35-year old matriculated at Waterkloof High School and as a player‚ represented the Blue Bulls and SA Schools‚ as well as representing the Vodacom Blue Bulls up to Vodacom Cup level. He also played SA Under-19 and Under-21 and represented Griquas and Free State at senior provincial level as well.

Also confirmed are the appointment of coaches to the Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-21 and Under-19 teams‚ with Hendré Marnitz and Hayden Groepes being appointed in those roles respectively.

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Marnitz was head coach to the Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-19 side since November 2013 as well as defence coach of the Vodacom Cup side during 2013. Previous head coach positions include the Buccaneers club side in Ireland‚ the Indian National Men’s side and the Helderberg and Dagbreek Residence teams in Stellenbosch. He was also part of the Western Province Institute coaching and recruitment staff previously.

Groepes‚ who represented Western Province at school boy and age group level‚ ended his playing career with UP-Tuks. Groepes started his coaching career as a Technical Analyst for the Vodacom Blue Bulls u19's. Groepes has also been a part of the UP-Tuks Varsity Young Guns as well as Vodacom Blue Bulls u19's Coaching Management Teams in 2013‚ 2014 and 2015.

Marnitz and Groepes will also coach the backs and will have Denzil Frans (Under-21) and Wessel Roux (Under-19) as forwards coaches. Both Roux and Frans are well-established specialist coaches in the Blue Bulls structures.

Pine Pienaar has been confirmed as defensive coach to all three sides‚ the same role he had with the Vodacom Bulls in 2015 until at least October 2016 - this includes the Vodacom Bulls Super Rugby and Vodacom Blue Bulls Vodacom Cup sides respectively for 2016 as well.

According to the BBC’s High Performance Manager‚ Xander Janse van Rensburg‚ an announcement on the role of Vodacom Bulls backline coach Pieter Rossouw‚ will be made soon.

Janse van Rensburg also confirmed that:

•Jacques (Vleis) Engelbrecht and Basil Short will be loaned to the EP Kings for the Absa Currie Cup competition

•The Vodacom Blue Bulls will play warm-up matches against the EP Kings on Friday July 17 in Port Elizabeth and Canon (in Japan) on Friday 31 July 2015.

•The Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-21’s will play against the Zimbabwe national side on July 4.

Janse van Rensburg announced the extension of contract to a number of senior players as well‚namely Springboks Deon Stegmann (end of Vodacom Super Rugby 2016) and Piet van Zyl (end of October 2017) and that of Travis Ismaiel (end of October 2017). “We will also have JJ Engelbrecht and Grant Hatting back for next year's Vodacom Super Rugby competition‚ but they are off to Japan in the next couple of weeks and will miss the Absa Currie Cup‚" Janse van Rensburg said.

The Vodacom Blue Bulls coaching structures are:

Vodacom Blue Bulls (Absa Currie Cup) Head Coach: Nollis Marais (also forwards) Backline Coach: David Manuel Defence Coach: Pine Pienaar

Vodacom Blue Bulls (Under 21 Absa Provincial Championship) Head Coach: Hendré Marnitz (also backline) Forwards Coach: Denzil Frans Defence Coach: Pine Pienaar

Vodacom Blue Bulls (Under 19 Absa Provincial Championship) Head Coach: Hayden Groepes (also backline) Forwards Coach: Wessel Roux Defence Coach: Pine Pienaar