The Bulls have bolstered their backroom staff with the news that former Sharks head coach Sean Everitt has joined their ranks on a temporary basis.
The 53-year-old was in charge of the Sharks from 2020 until last November when he stepped down from his position after the team suffered a 35-0 United Rugby Championship (URC) defeat against Cardiff in Durban.
Bulls chief executive Edgar Rathbone confirmed that Everitt has joined them as a consultant and that he will be concentrating on the Pretoria-based side’s upcoming Currie Cup campaign.
“We have indeed recruited him,” Rathbone told Sport24.
“For now, Sean is subject to a short-term deal, one that essentially covers the domestic tournament. We’ll see how things pan out afterwards.”
Rathbone said Everitt will start in his new role immediately and emphasised that he will not be involved in the Bulls’ URC and Champions Cup campaigns.
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Experience of developing young players
Despite that, Everitt is a valuable addition to the men from Pretoria’s backroom staff as he has coached the Sharks at Currie Cup level and has a reputation for fostering the development of young players.
Everitt’s acquisition also shows how seriously the Bulls are taking the Currie Cup, which kicks off next month, as the tournament overlaps the URC and Champions Cup competitions.
That means all the South African franchises’ depth will be severely tested over the next few months.
Everitt’s experience of bringing through rookies at the Sharks – with whom he won South Africa’s U19 title in 2018 – should stand him in good stead, especially as the Bulls have a healthy crop of promising youngsters coming through their ranks.
“It doesn’t happen often that you get the opportunity to get a guy like Sean involved,” said Rathbone.
“Sean’s a highly experienced coach who’s been exposed to the rigours of the URC and Champions Cup and we’re very confident he’ll add real value to our Currie Cup setup.”