Jake White says John Plumtree’s impending departure as Sharks coach is proof that South African rugby’s professional system is setting coaches up to fail.
The Sharks announced on Wednesday that Plumtree will step down by mutual agreement at the end of the 2025-26 season after a poor start to the URC campaign. They have won just one of their first five matches and sit 13th on the log.
White, who left the Bulls earlier this year following a breakdown in relations with senior players, told SuperSport.com that the current structure leaves coaches powerless while players, administrators and other role players survive.
“What has happened with Plum is another red flag for me around a problem that is going to ultimately cost South African rugby because the franchise level of the game is going to end up dying,” said White.
“I know well that you can’t juggle three competitions while there are key players in your team that need to have a mandatory eight-week resting period during the playing of those competitions and you have players managing themselves. Heat is put on you by player unions if you are seen not to handle them correctly.
“If a player has recently come back from injury he may feel it is wrong for you to play him beyond a certain number of minutes, but sometimes as a coach and a team you are just under the pump and it becomes necessary to maybe play that player for 70 to 80 minutes for the team’s and your own survival. Rugby is a team sport.
Plumtree’s fate was effectively sealed when a Springbok-laden Sharks team lost 34-26 to Ulster at Kings Park in round four of the URC, despite bouncing back to beat the Scarlets 29-19 in Durban a week later.
“In Plumtree’s defence, he has very little access to his top players and doesn’t work at all with them during the pre-season,” White said.
“I watched the Sharks beat the Scarlets on television last week and I heard Eben [Etzebeth] say something staggering afterwards. He said that the players weren’t mentally ready the week before against Ulster. This is a guy who has won two World Cups. Imagine what would happen if he said that after playing for the Boks.
“The question is how do you motivate a player who gets paid the bulk of his salary by the franchise when he knows he is going to be chosen for the Boks every time? If he was not mentally ready to play for the Boks we know what would happen. This is the problem I am referring to and the challenge that someone like Plumtree faces.”
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“Obviously there will be people who will say the Boks should be the priority, but then coaches at franchise level get hired and fired on the basis of what the players do at that level and I believe that is what has happened to Plumtree.
“The Sharks contracted too many current Boks, but if the system was right that would not be the disadvantage it has become.”
Coach Plumtree arrived at the Sharks in 1988. He cares deeply about our club and is a special coach. We won 3 major trophies since he returned to Durban, and our club is stronger and more resilient because of him. There is a lot of rugby left this season — and I hope our fans… https://t.co/tl0MwBNvpQ
— Marco Masotti (@MarcoMasotti_) October 30, 2025
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
