The Vodacom Bulls are set to announce a two-year contract extention to head coach Frans Ludeke’s contract on Wednesday.

SuperSport

The extension, which will see Ludeke at the helm of the side he took over in 2009 until the end of the 2015 season, is set to be made public this morning at the team’s press conference.

It is reported that Ludeke had been given the vote of confidence by the Blue Bulls Company board after his team’s superb season thus far, as they lie second in the overall conference and top the South African conference.

It is also expected to be announced that Absa Currie Cup coach Pine Pienaar will continue to take the coaching role for this year’s competition, with Victor Matfield likely to continue his role as assistant coach.

Ludeke is set to continue in his role as head coach, but wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to move into the director of coaching role in the next year or so – a post vacated by Heyneke Meyer when he took up the role as Springbok coach.

Pienaar endured a rough first season as Currie Cup coach, but has been instrumental in the Bulls defence after moving into the defensive coaching role at Vodacom Super Rugby level.

Ludeke, in his time at the Bulls, has won one Currie Cup and two Super Rugby titles, but the Bulls’ last trophy came in 2010, although their chances of winning the South African conference trophy this year is pretty good with five games left in the regular season.

Apart from backline coach Pieter Rossouw, whose contract was renewed last year, forwards and attack coach Matfield is also set to continue in the role.

The Bulls also have former Bok halfback Fourie du Preez working as a consultant with the scrumhalves during his break from his Japanese season, with Du Preez likely to return for a more permanent role when his contract ends with Suntory Sungoliath.