Stonehouse: Time for a new challenge

After seven years at the helm of the Pumas, Jimmy Stonehouse will be leaving Nelspruit to ply his trade in Japan with the Toshiba Brave Lupus.

Stonehouse had been instrumental in the team being promoted to the Currie Cup Premier Division in 2010 and again in 2014 while their promotion, and unbeaten run in the 2013 First Division competition, earned Stonehouse the SA Rugby Union's Coach of the Year award.

He had been approached on three previous occasions by Japanese clubs, which he turned down, the latest being in February 2014 but he feels that it is the right time to move on and take on a new challenge.

"It's a very big decision that I had to make, it's very sad because I started with some of the players seven years ago and some of them have been with me since they were in grade nine, so obviously its a very big decision leaving these guys behind.

"But when you stay at a place for seven years, the guys under you also need time to develop and groom themselves. The decision to go abroad and get a new experience was also based on the fact that I didn't get a chance at a higher level or Super Rugby level.

"There are a lot of good coaches in SA and that's obviously why I didn't get a chance.

"When you stay in a one place, you don't learn, you become stagnant. When you go to a higher level, you will learn new things.

"So when I go to Tokyo and coach the likes of Springbok Frans Steyn, All Black Richard Kahui and Wallaby Cooper Vuna, I will learn a lot more and gain more experience. So when I do return, hopefully I could get an opportunity," he told rugby365com.

"This is the fourth time that I've been approached and, obviously, I've turned down three of them but now it's time for me to move on. If after getting numerous awards and doing well in the Currie Cup, you don't even get a job as an assistant in the Super Rugby setup, then you know it's time to move on to better things, wherever the opportunity presents itself," he added.

Stonehouse leaves the Pumas after many years of service in good faith and is grateful to the Union for granting him the opportunity.

"There's a good relationship between myself and the Pumas. I'm very thankful to them for giving me the opportunity seven years ago, especially [president] Hein Mentz.

"I also want to thank SA Rugby for making me Coach of the Year, giving me the SA Barbarians side and the President's XV. Both parties [Mentz and SARU] were great in giving me those opportunities," he stated.

By Tauriq Ebrahim

@Tagels03