Ackermann’s goal: Get Gloucester ‘back to its best’

Johan Ackermann is adamant that his new club Gloucester can achieve greatness in the coming seasons.

The new Cherry and Whites head coach wants to help the club get “back to its best” following a recent dip in their success rate. He has not set a time frame for this yet.

Ackermann started his new job late in pre-season. This was after he led his former side, the Johannesburg-based Lions, to the Super Rugby final. He finally coached Gloucester in a pre-season friendly loss to Leinster in Dublin, where his charges went down 50-14.

The last time Gloucester were on top of the Premiership table was in 2007/08. They’ve never won the title and have not finished in the play-offs since the 2010/11 season.

“You have to believe you have the potential to get right to the top but is it going to take one year, a few years? Time will tell,” Ackermann told Gloucestershirelive.co.uk.

“I’m positive, I’ll give my utmost best.

“For me now my time with the team has been a bit limited but we’re going to do it as best we can.

“Looking at the facilities, looking at the backing of sponsors, looking at the backroom staff and the quality of players I do believe the potential is there.

“We must make sure we do everything we can to get the club back to its best.”