Border Bulldogs head coach Dumisani Mhani plans to engage with clubs and varsity teams in the region to find ways to boost the performance of the provincial team.
The Bulldogs failed to win any games in the two competitions they played in 2025, the SA Cup and Currie Cup First Division.
It was Mhani’s first season back at the helm. In his analysis of the season, which included three 100-plus defeats, the veteran mentor said he was disappointed by the results but added that off-field issues had contributed equally to the team’s woes.
He said the Bulldogs did not have enough training sessions together before most of their games.
This was because out-of-town players had to travel long distances to East London while some had to juggle their day jobs with playing rugby for the union.
To make up additional numbers to their signings, the team used players from Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and Fort Hare.
WSU’s move from its Potsdam campus — a few kilometres from the Bulldogs’ training base — to the former Transkei region made it harder for the players to attend some sessions.
Similarly, some Fort Hare players had to travel from the university’s main campus in Dikeni to East London.
In past seasons, there were misunderstandings in terms of clubs freeing their key players to enable them to train with the Bulldogs, especially in the preseason.
These are among the aspects that Mhani, who took his former employers, EP, to the final of the First Division two seasons ago, believes the Bulldogs need to iron out and find common ground with the clubs if the team is to achieve consistency in their performances.
We are willing to go to the trenches to look for talent that will make the region better
“In the coming weeks, we are planning to meet clubs to discuss some issues that can have a positive effect. Maybe they can teach us a few things, and we [them] as well,” Mhani said.
“We had a few games over the season that we felt we could have won, but we didn’t, and those were attributed to the team not being on the same page because some guys miss training sessions midweek because they are either working or some are studying for exams.
“We need to find solutions during the time off as to how we can all work together.
“The management is working to assist us in terms of that, as to how we can get players training more than three times minimum a week,” he said.
He said the Bulldogs would also embark upon a talent identification process during the off-season and would keep a close eye on the Brutten Ten competition, which is played by Border clubs from all three league tiers and the under-21s.
“We are willing to go to the trenches to look for talent that will make the region better,” he said.
Daily Dispatch
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