Jake White
Encyclopedia
Jake White is a rugby union
coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks
. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup
and the 2004 Tri Nations title. White also coached the U-21 Springbok side to victory in the U-21 Rugby Union World Cup in 2002. He is the current Head Coach of the Brumbies in Super Rugby.
On 24 October 2011, he was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame
, alongside other World Cup-winning head coaches and captains through the 2007 World Cup.
where he played in the First XV. He began his coaching career as a high school rugby coach at Parktown Boys' High School
's First XV before returning to his old school as a teacher and as coach of the school's First XV. White's success with the school team resulted in him being appointed as provincial schools coach. Later he coached various under-19 and under-21 sides before assisting Springbok squad preparations by doing video analysis for them. By this time he was well known for his technical prowess in rugby circles, and he lived up to his reputation by coaching the under-21 Springbok side to a victory in the U-21 Rugby Union World Cup in 2002.
, the Kamp Staaldraad
scandal, numerous internal conflicts within their national federation
.
and his team achieved the feat in 1998. The Tri-nations was followed by a disappointing Grand Slam tour of the Home Nations in November 2004, when the Springboks lost to both England and Ireland, with victories against Wales and Scotland.
Nevertheless, the Springbok resurgence was honoured with a sweep of the major International Rugby Board awards. The Boks were named Team of the Year, White Coach of the Year, and flanker Schalk Burger Player of the Year. The Springboks ended 2004 having won 69% of the games played that year, and rose two spots to fourth in the IRB's
official world rankings. Soon after the 2004 Tri Nations victory, White's contract was extended to after the 2007 Rugby World Cup
.
in 2005.
Most of White's critics were silenced during the following five weeks. First, the Boks retained the Mandela Challenge Plate
by defeating the Wallabies in the return fixture in Johannesburg. One week later at Loftus
in Pretoria
, the Boks again defeated the Wallabies in the Tri Nations opener. The following week, the All Blacks
, fresh off sweeping
the British and Irish Lions
, came to Newlands
in Cape Town
, where they had not lost to the Springboks since 1976. The Boks' surprise win over the All Blacks not only put them in pole position to retain the Tri-Nations trophy, but also vaulted them over the Wallabies into second in the world rankings. This would be the only Test that the All Blacks would lose in 2005. Two weeks later the Boks returned to Australia for the home leg of Australia's Tri-Nations campaign, beating them yet again to put White's choices beyond doubt. It was also the first time since 1971 that the Springboks had managed to beat the Wallabies three times in a single year. The Boks would lose in New Zealand to the All Blacks to end their 2005 Tri Nations campaign, but the closeness of the match - the Springboks led 27–24 until New Zealand hooker Keven Mealamu
scored a try in the 76th minute - largely defused any remaining criticism of White till the end-of-year tour to Europe of 2005.
by a small margin and a loss at home to France
and the World XV
but it was their performance at the Tri Nations which showed as to how poorly the Springboks had performed when they were beaten in a record-breaking 49–0 loss to Australia
- the biggest losing margin by any Springbok side against the Wallabies, which followed a home loss to the eventual champions, the All Blacks
in Pretoria. This prompted probably the loudest calls for White's resignation because they ended at the bottom of the pool with only two wins, and both playing at home. The end of year tour to Europe was not a success either, with an understrength squad losing 32–15 to Ireland
and 23-21 in the first test against England
at Twickenham
. The Boks salvaged some pride to defeat the English 25-14 in the second test.
for South Africa which culminated in an all-South African final between the Sharks and the Bulls. White chose to draw heavily on these two teams for players to capitalize on their Super 14
success. When the Springboks played a depleted England
on 26 May in Bloemfontein
, the result was a resounding 58–10 win for the South Africans. The second test on 2 June at Loftus Versfeld Stadium
in Pretoria
was a more dogged affair in the first half, with the visitors leading 19–17 at the break. However, a renewed sense of urgency prompted the Boks to regroup and blow away the England side, eventually running out 55–22 winners. South African captain John Smit
said after the game that "there is a lot of work to be done. But this year we have got a chance" to challenge for the World Cup.
White made 13 changes to the South African side to face Samoa
at Ellis Park on 9 June. The Springboks battled out a 35–8 win over the visitors.
After the Boks’ 15-6 victory against England in the World Cup final, they claimed the No 1 ranking for the first time since rankings were officially introduced in 2003, thus ending the All Blacks’ 40-month stint at the top.
White's notable achievements as Springbok head coach include:
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
and the 2004 Tri Nations title. White also coached the U-21 Springbok side to victory in the U-21 Rugby Union World Cup in 2002. He is the current Head Coach of the Brumbies in Super Rugby.
On 24 October 2011, he was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame
IRB Hall of Fame
The IRB Hall of Fame is a hall of fame operated by the International Rugby Board that recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The IRB Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other individuals...
, alongside other World Cup-winning head coaches and captains through the 2007 World Cup.
Coaching resume up to 2004
Jake White attended Jeppe High School for BoysJeppe High School for Boys
Jeppe High School for Boys is a public secondary school is located in Kensington, a suburb of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, one of the 23 Milner Schools....
where he played in the First XV. He began his coaching career as a high school rugby coach at Parktown Boys' High School
Parktown Boys' High School
Parktown Boys' High School is a public high school for boys in Parktown, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Parktown Boys' is well known for its emphasis on holistic education and in 2009 was rated as one of the top performing state schools in South Africa, and in the top ten schools in...
's First XV before returning to his old school as a teacher and as coach of the school's First XV. White's success with the school team resulted in him being appointed as provincial schools coach. Later he coached various under-19 and under-21 sides before assisting Springbok squad preparations by doing video analysis for them. By this time he was well known for his technical prowess in rugby circles, and he lived up to his reputation by coaching the under-21 Springbok side to a victory in the U-21 Rugby Union World Cup in 2002.
Springbok coach
White was appointed as head coach of the national team in early 2004 when South African rugby was in turmoil following their poor performance at the 2003 World Cup2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
, the Kamp Staaldraad
Kamp Staaldraad
Kamp Staaldraad was a military-style "boot camp" organized as a "team building" exercise for the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks , during their preparation for the 2003 Rugby World Cup...
scandal, numerous internal conflicts within their national federation
South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to the International Rugby Board...
.
2004
Under White's guidance the Springboks began to slowly win back their respectability in world rugby. In his first games in charge in June 2004, the Springboks beat Ireland in a two-Test home series and Wales during their opponents' tours of the Southern Hemisphere. Next came a win in the most closely contested Tri Nations in history, winning their first Tri Nations trophy since Nick MallettNick Mallett
Nicholas Vivian Howard Mallett is a former South African rugby union player who was until recently the head coach of the Italian national team, previously replacing Pierre Berbizier on 3 October 2007...
and his team achieved the feat in 1998. The Tri-nations was followed by a disappointing Grand Slam tour of the Home Nations in November 2004, when the Springboks lost to both England and Ireland, with victories against Wales and Scotland.
Nevertheless, the Springbok resurgence was honoured with a sweep of the major International Rugby Board awards. The Boks were named Team of the Year, White Coach of the Year, and flanker Schalk Burger Player of the Year. The Springboks ended 2004 having won 69% of the games played that year, and rose two spots to fourth in the IRB's
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
official world rankings. Soon after the 2004 Tri Nations victory, White's contract was extended to after the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
.
2005
In 2005 White came under fire from many fans because of his loyalty to players that were in the 2004 squad. Instead of choosing "form" players, he chose to stick with players that played well during the 2004 Tri-nations season, but had failed to impress since then.. The criticism reached its peak after a comprehensive 30–12 defeat to Australia in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 2005.
Most of White's critics were silenced during the following five weeks. First, the Boks retained the Mandela Challenge Plate
Mandela Challenge Plate
The Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate is a rugby union trophy contested between Australia and South Africa. It is named after South Africa's first post-apartheid president, Nelson Mandela....
by defeating the Wallabies in the return fixture in Johannesburg. One week later at Loftus
Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final...
in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, the Boks again defeated the Wallabies in the Tri Nations opener. The following week, the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
, fresh off sweeping
2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
In 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
, came to Newlands
Newlands Stadium
Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue....
in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, where they had not lost to the Springboks since 1976. The Boks' surprise win over the All Blacks not only put them in pole position to retain the Tri-Nations trophy, but also vaulted them over the Wallabies into second in the world rankings. This would be the only Test that the All Blacks would lose in 2005. Two weeks later the Boks returned to Australia for the home leg of Australia's Tri-Nations campaign, beating them yet again to put White's choices beyond doubt. It was also the first time since 1971 that the Springboks had managed to beat the Wallabies three times in a single year. The Boks would lose in New Zealand to the All Blacks to end their 2005 Tri Nations campaign, but the closeness of the match - the Springboks led 27–24 until New Zealand hooker Keven Mealamu
Keven Mealamu
Keven Mealamu is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays at hooker for the Blues in the Super 14, Auckland in the National Provincial Championship, and the New Zealand national team, All Blacks....
scored a try in the 76th minute - largely defused any remaining criticism of White till the end-of-year tour to Europe of 2005.
2006
In 2006, the Springboks had a poor year after they lost most of their home-and-away matches which started with them beating a lowly ranked ScotlandScotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
by a small margin and a loss at home to France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and the World XV
World XV
A World XV is a rugby union team, typically composed of invited players from various countries. Various World XVs have been arranged from time to time, often to take part in celebration and testimonial games, usually against national teams; recent World XV games have generally not been considered...
but it was their performance at the Tri Nations which showed as to how poorly the Springboks had performed when they were beaten in a record-breaking 49–0 loss to Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
- the biggest losing margin by any Springbok side against the Wallabies, which followed a home loss to the eventual champions, the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in Pretoria. This prompted probably the loudest calls for White's resignation because they ended at the bottom of the pool with only two wins, and both playing at home. The end of year tour to Europe was not a success either, with an understrength squad losing 32–15 to Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
and 23-21 in the first test against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
. The Boks salvaged some pride to defeat the English 25-14 in the second test.
2007
The 2007 season started promisingly for White, having the scope to draw from a great deal of talent in the wake of a wonderful 2007 Super 14 season2007 Super 14 season
The 2007 Super 14 season started in February 2007 with preseason matches held from mid-January. It finished on 19 May with the final at ABSA Stadium in Durban, in the first final between two South African teams in the history of Super Rugby...
for South Africa which culminated in an all-South African final between the Sharks and the Bulls. White chose to draw heavily on these two teams for players to capitalize on their Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
success. When the Springboks played a depleted England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
on 26 May in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, the result was a resounding 58–10 win for the South Africans. The second test on 2 June at Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final...
in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
was a more dogged affair in the first half, with the visitors leading 19–17 at the break. However, a renewed sense of urgency prompted the Boks to regroup and blow away the England side, eventually running out 55–22 winners. South African captain John Smit
John Smit
John William Smit is the 50th and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a hooker, but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prop prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a tighthead...
said after the game that "there is a lot of work to be done. But this year we have got a chance" to challenge for the World Cup.
White made 13 changes to the South African side to face Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
at Ellis Park on 9 June. The Springboks battled out a 35–8 win over the visitors.
After the Boks’ 15-6 victory against England in the World Cup final, they claimed the No 1 ranking for the first time since rankings were officially introduced in 2003, thus ending the All Blacks’ 40-month stint at the top.
Springbok coaching record and achievements
- By year
Year Played Won Lost Drew Win ratio (%) 2004 13 9 4 69 2005 12 8 3 1 67 2006 12 5 7 42 2007 17 14 3 82 TOTAL 54 36 17 1 67 - By Country
Opponent Played Won Lost Drew Win ratio (%) 3 3 100 11 6 5 55 7 5 2 71 1 1 100 4 1 2 1 25 4 2 2 50 1 1 100 9 3 6 33 Pacific Islanders Pacific Islanders rugby union teamThe Pacific Islanders rugby union team is an international rugby union team, started in 2004, that represents Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. While Niue and the Cook Islands are not members of the Pacific Tri-Nations competition, they did supply players to the squad for the Pacific Islanders' tour in 2004...1 1 100 2 2 100 4 4 100 1 1 100 1 1 100 1 1 100 4 4 100 TOTAL 54 36 17 1 67
Resume and Summary of achievements
Before becoming coach of South Africa:- Jeppe High School for BoysJeppe High School for BoysJeppe High School for Boys is a public secondary school is located in Kensington, a suburb of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, one of the 23 Milner Schools....
First XV - Hooker - Jeppe Old Boys Under 20 - Hooker
- Johannesburg College of Education First XV - Hooker
- 1982-1985 Coached Park Town Boys High First XV
- 1986-1994 Worked as a Physical Education teacher
- 1986-1988 Coached 14a, 15a
- 1989-1994 Coached Jeppe Boys High School First XV.
- Unbeaten in 1991 and 1994, beating Grey High SchoolGrey High SchoolGrey High School is an elite school for boys located in the city of Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Grey High School is not to be confused with Grey College in Bloemfontein, Free State.-History:...
46–0 in his last game as coach.
- Unbeaten in 1991 and 1994, beating Grey High School
- 1995 Attended International Coaching Congress
- 1995-1997 Director of Coaching for Transvaal Rugby Union
- Fitness Coach and Technical Adviser for Gauteng Lions in Super 12
- 1997 National Coaching Congress
- 2000 Assistant Coach to the Natal Sharks
- 2000-2001 Springboks Assistant Coach
- Level 4 coaching certificate
White's notable achievements as Springbok head coach include:
- Winning the Tri Nations (2004)
- Winning the World Cup (2007)
- Taking South Africa from 6th on the IRB World Rankings (2003) to 1st (2007)
- IRB International Coach of the Year (2004, 2007)
- Biggest score ever achieved by a Springbok side (134-3 against Uruguay in 2005)
- First home series win against France since 1975
- First victory over the All Blacks at NewlandsNewlands StadiumNewlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue....
since 1976 - Consecutive wins against Australia and New Zealand for the first time since 1998
- Most successful South African team at home in the history of Springbok rugby, undefeated at home in 11 tests (they would extend this streak to 13)
- First South African team to beat Australia 3 times in the same year since 1971
- First South African team to beat Australia in Australia since 1998