The coach SA Rugby called when Swys de Bruin was unavailable
IN THE SPOTLIGTH: When Springbok Women coach Swys de Bruin was unavailable ahead of the historic Test against the Black Ferns due to a dispute with the national body, they turned to one of the country’s fastest-rising coaches.
Fresh from helping the Junior Springboks win back-to-back World Rugby Under-20 titles, Melusi Mthethwa has stepped into the Bok Women camp to assist with preparations for Saturday’s big showdown vir the Black Ferns at FNB Stadium in a curtain raiser for the third Greatest Rivalry Test.
It is a familiar storyline for the 40-year-old coach.
Mthethwa replaced De Bruin at Shimlas in 2023 after the former Springbok assistant’s two-year stint as the University of the Free State’s director of coaching came to an end following that year’s Varsity Cup.
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Now, with De Bruin having apparently stepped away from his position as head coach of the Springbok Women, Mthethwa has been called upon to assist the women for one of the biggest fixtures in their history.
It is not a permanent role for Mthethwa, who is still firmly involved with the Junior Springboks as attack and backline coach.
He joined the Junior Springboks ahead of the 2025 season and has played a key role in South Africa’s back-to-back World Rugby Under-20 Championship triumphs.
Under head coach Kevin Foote, the Junior Boks lifted consecutive world titles in 2025 and 2026, extending their winning streak at the tournament to 11 matches.
Mthethwa’s coaching journey began at North-West University’s Puk Rugby Institute where he also assisted the Leopards.
From there, he joined the Free State setup, coaching the Cheetahs’ Under-19 and Under-21 teams before progressing to the senior Cheetahs as attack and backline coach.
Mthethwa has also served as head coach of CUT’s Varsity Cup side, he was the attack coach of Griquas in the Currie Cup, and assistant coach at Shimlas, where he reunited with head coach André Tredoux after returning to Bloemfontein.
Now he brings that attacking expertise to the Springbok Women as they prepare to face the Black Ferns in the first Test between the two nations on South African soil, as part of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry double-header at FNB Stadium.
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