In August 2001 he joined the SAIL Group, the one shareholder in the Blue Bulls Company and since September 2006 he was the acting CEO of the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd before again being appointed as CEO in August 2007.

Van Graan set aside a few minutes of his time to speak to bluebulls.co.za

Are you pleased with the Vodacom Bulls’ performance thus far?

The Vodacom Bulls had a brilliant start to the Super 14 and after winning their first four matches we are now on a eight match winning streak if you take 2008’s last four games into consideration.

We couldn’t have asked for a better start and who would have expected us to be topping the log after five rounds, especially if you take into account that we a normally slow starters. It is important to keep our feet on the ground. There are still 9 matches left including a gruelling Australian tour.

Do we have enough depth when guys like Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha and Danie Rossouw retires?

Most of our senior players are in long term contracts but that has the effect that talented youngsters who play in the same position as the senior Boks are hesitant to join the Bulls because they feel they may not get enough game time. Having said that we have numerous excellent youngsters and the fact that we have won the Vodacom Cup as well as the Under 21 competition in 2008 says a lot about our depth.

What are you looking for when you contract someone?

Whenever we contract young player we are looking for someone who has the potential to play Super 14 and international rugby. It is always our goal to sign players that can reach the top and we have varies criteria’s that we consider before signing any player. We take into account not only a player’s physical abilities but his personality, work ethic, commitment, character etc.

Who is mainly responsible for the contracting of the players?

The contracting of the players is Ian Schwartz’s responsibility and he does it in conjunction with Frans Ludeke and the other coaches.

What takes up most of your time as CEO?

Managing the company - the Super 14 and Vodacom Cup competitions. It is my responsibility to manage the whole process and with the Confederations Cup and World Cup coming up.

The British and Irish Lions are also on my agenda and together with the coaches and we are always busy recruiting and negotiating with players.

Is Loftus Versfeld all geared up for the Confederations Cup and the British Lions?

Yes, the upgrading of the stadium is nearly wrapped up and we are very grateful and honoured to be involved with the Confederations Cup, World Cup and Lions tour.

Who pays for the upgrading of the stadium?

R130 million was spent on the upgrading of the stadium and it was paid for by the Central Government and Tshwane Metro Municipality.

Why soccer at Loftus?

We have to have soccer at Loftus! To host 16-20 rugby matches in a year is a huge waste of our facilities and we will definitely not maximise our potential revenue if there are no other events at Loftus. The maintenance of Loftus Versfeld is costly.

The 367 corporate suites that seat 10, 000 guests also have the opportunity to entertain their soccer clients and invite them to music concerts etc. We would like to give them great value for their money.

Loftus is the delivery platform and from there we deliver rugby - our core business to our clients and supporters. Soccer and something like the music concerts ads a lot of value to our clients.

What advice will you give to youngsters who would like to work in a rugby environment?

I would say they must get involved with club rugby and continue to play for as long as possible. It is also always beneficial to do as many coaching and referee courses and for this they can contact Johan Schoeman at the BBRU – 012 420 0700. I will also recommend serving on their club’s management from an early age.



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