SA Rugby ramps up focus on Women's game

NEWS: SA Rugby is to advertise for a full-time Springbok Women’s fifteens head coach as the organisation continues to ramp up its focus on the women’s game.

The team recently qualified for the 2025 World Cup in England and is now seeking a top-level coach to accelerate the team’s progress.

Louis Koen, who had filled the role on an interim basis, will revert to his primary role as High-Performance Manager at SA Rugby.

“The need for a full-time coach was never questioned, but the search process had been paused while the critical World Cup qualifying preparations and tournament was underway,” said Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby.

“Louis and his coaching team and the squad did a great job to confirm qualification as African champions in Madagascar earlier this month and now is the time to expand that progress.”

#SPOTLIGHT: Some big movement at the top of the @WorldRugby Women’s Rankings #rugby #news #Sports #WomensGame https://t.co/qVriJW49sa

— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) May 20, 2024

The appointment of a dedicated Springbok Women’s coach is one of several initiatives SA Rugby are planning to boost participation and performance in the women’s game.

The organization recently concluded a workshop in Cape Town, which included all of South Africa’s rugby unions as well as high-level executives from World Rugby with wide-ranging experience in women’s sport, to plan the way forward for the women’s game in South Africa.

Oberholzer thanked Koen for stepping into the coaching breach at short notice and for continuing the development of the women’s team.

“Louis did a great job when there was a need for a short-term solution and his passion for coaching and the women’s game shone through,” he said.

“It would have been easy to leave him in situ, but there’s a clear need for a full-time coach with only one KPI – to lift our Bok Women up the world rankings.

“We will be advertising for an individual whose sole focus will be on the women’s XVs team as we look forward to the WXV tournament in South Africa later this year and next year’s World Cup.”

The position will be advertised shortly.