SARU 'talking' to Swys regarding the future of Women's rugby
NEWS: Springbok Women’s coach Swys de Bruin injected new life into the women’s game, but his appointment was only until after the World Cup.
The coaching guru came on board to guide the Women’s World Cup campaign just a little over a year ago.
Since then, that team has gone from strength to strength, not only making the world sit up and take notice, but also stealing the hearts of die-hard South African fans who have never watched a women’s game before.
A lot needs to change to keep the momentum going after the euphoria of the World Cup. The Springbok Women need tougher opposition on a continuous basis, while the local provincial competition is not adequate to develop enough players to feed the national side.
At the time of De Bruin’s appointment in August 2024, Rian Oberholzer, SA Rugby’s CEO, said the changes to the coaching staff were part of a four-year strategic plan.
“Our aim is for the Springbok Women to climb the world rankings to be in the top eight,” Oberholzer said.
When De Bruin joined the Women’s team, not many people knew what to expect, least of all him.
He had never worked with a women’s team before. He admitted it felt like a daunting task, but the human stories, the humility, and the intense willingness to do whatever it takes from the players caught him off guard.
He had been out of coaching for a while, having stepped away from the men’s game in 2019 due to burnout.
Less than a year later, the Bok Women moved into the top ten of the world rankings after reaching the quarterfinal of the World Cup.
His impact, both on and off the field, has been nothing short of massive.
After their World Cup exit, De Bruin boldly stated that a giant has awakened in South African women’s rugby.
Speaking at the post-match presser, the seasoned coach praised his team’s collective effort and resilience throughout the championship.
“It is just unreal, I’ve never worked with, I’ve been blessed with 38 years in professional rugby, I’ve never worked with a team like this. It’s just a bunch of fighters, I cry every day, it’s just unreal how they never moan, they just go, go, go, and they are just fantastic,” he stated.
Now the question on everyone’s lips is whether De Bruin will return to his role as performance lead for other coaches at SA Rugby.
De Bruin and his team arrived back in South Africa on Tuesday to a disappointingly small crowd of supporters at Cape Town International.
Among those to welcome them back were Oberholzer and Cape Town Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews.
*Article continues below…
Speaking at the press conference, Oberholzer was asked what the plans were with De Bruin going forward.
“We are talking to each other,” Oberholzer said with a broad smile.
“The way Swys and the coaching team got together…they built a culture now.
“We have to be careful that we do not believe we have to follow what the men did.
“We’ve got an ideal situation where we have a clean sheet of paper so that we can put professional structures in place in women’s rugby. We do not have the hangups we had with the men’s game.
“We can put in place what is best for the women’s game, and we are working hard to do that,” Oberholzer stressed.
In the end, De Bruin didn’t take this job just to coach just another team. He took it because he believed in the potential of the players, and in the idea that South African women’s rugby could be something special.
