By Renaldo Bothma Part 1 of 3 | Exclusive for Octafield
Let’s set the record straight. This past United Rugby Championship (URC) season was, without a doubt, the most well-prepared I’ve seen the Bulls in the last five years. The level of preparation, conditioning, and strategic thinking going into the URC final was world-class. But what the final also did — in brutal honesty — was remind us just how good Leinster is.
This wasn’t a Bulls collapse. It was an encounter with a side boasting 22 internationals, playing in front of a sea of blue at Croke Park. That’s not a game you just “win”. That’s a mountain you climb — and sometimes, even the best climbers don’t summit.
Jake White, who’s faced his fair share of media scrutiny, has openly spoken throughout the season about the challenge of competing against fully stacked northern squads. He’s emphasised, more than once, that the URC isn’t just another comp — it’s a brutal, elite, top-tier competition. But were those insights taken seriously? Hardly.
“It’s almost impossible to win if you’re going up against a side with 23 internationals. That’s not an excuse — it’s reality,” I said recently. And I stand by that.
Jake White
What I find disappointing is not the result — it’s the noise that followed it. The mainstream media — some of whom haven’t laced up a boot or walked into a team strategy session — were quick to ask, “Did Jake get it wrong?” or “Was this a tactical misfire?” The truth is, not enough of those narratives consider what it actually takes to go to war with a squad like Leinster’s.
That’s where we, at Octafield, want to do things differently. I’m not a journalist by training. I’m a rugby man through and through. My role here is to tell the story as it is — raw, unfiltered, and real. Not to sensationalise. Not to pick apart good men doing their best under massive pressure.
And here’s the kicker — we’re losing top players and coaches to overseas teams every season. We’re bleeding talent while trying to maintain our global competitiveness. But is that the headline? Rarely.
We should be asking: How do we strengthen our franchises to keep our best at home? How do we support local structures instead of breaking them down when results don’t go our way?
From where I stand — a former player who now sees the game from the other side — the story of South African rugby isn’t about failure. It’s about resilience, potential, and a call for better storytelling.
In the next piece, I’ll unpack the media’s role in shaping the narrative around our teams — and why we desperately need a shift from criticism to contribution.
But for now, let’s give credit where it’s due. The Bulls weren’t outplayed because they were poor. They were outgunned by one of the best squads in Europe. That’s not shameful. That’s rugby.
